Despite attention to sustainability growing in the last decade in the wine sector, the rate of association with wine sustainability programs still appears to be limited. This is mainly related to the uncertainty about the economic benefits related to the implementation of sustainable best practices. In this regard, some studies highlighted that the presence of professionals capable of managing the requirements promoted by the standards generally leads to a positive perception of their impact on the economic performances of companies. Therefore, to encourage participation in sustainability programs, the adoption of a collaborative approach to share the skills and knowledge necessary to manage the transition from a conventional organization to a sustainable one seems to be a functional strategy. This paper presents the Prosecco Sustainability Project as a case study to investigate how a structured set of activities must be deployed through a participatory/collaborative approach to significantly improve the level of sustainability of a wide and heterogeneous community of grape and wine producers. The case study highlights that the collaboration between different actors and the guidance from a coordinating figure capable of fostering dialogue and cooperation among the various stakeholders represent key elements to the large-scale deployment of a sustainable management system.

Amid increasing pressure on sustainability across sectors, the wine industry is also being called to adopt sustainable and responsible practices. However, a potential concern for firms is whether and to what extent sustainability efforts, while beneficial for the environment and society, require some sacrifice on the economic side. Specifically, this study investigates whether adopting a holistic sustainability approach by wine firms leads to economic issues in the short term. We focus on Italian wineries certified under Equalitas certification, a three-pillar certification integrating environmental, social, and economic dimensions, and evaluate their financial performance using a difference-in-differences (DiD) approach. The analysis relies on firm-level economic data from the AIDA database, covering a sample of 631 companies observed over a six-year period from 2018 to 2023. Overall, the results show no statistically significant short-term changes in profitability or liquidity indicators across the entire sample. These findings suggest that, while short-term economic gains are not guaranteed, embarking on a sustainability path does not undermine financial performance and may offer benefits under certain organizational conditions. The study contributes to the literature by providing robust empirical evidence on the economic implications of the adoption holistic sustainability approaches in the wine sector.

Attention to sustainability is growing in the wine sector, but the rate of association to wine sustainability programs or schemes still appears to be limited. To encourage participation in sustainability programs, a collaborative approach adoption to share in wine communities the skills and knowledges necessary to manage the transition from a conventional organisation of production to a sustainable one, seems to be a functional strategy. This paper, present as case study, the Prosecco Sustainability Project, to investigate how a participatory/collaborative approach coordinated by an interbranch organization to facilitate the adoption of sustainable best practices by companies, can actually be developed. Results show that is necessary a strong integration and collaboration between different actors and that guidance from a coordinating figure who is able to foster dialogue and cooperation among the various stakeholders involved is needed.

Sustainability has become a key issue in the wine sector, raising questions about its compatibility with firms' economic performance. Despite growing attention to environmental and social practices, evidence on their economic implications remains fragmented. Building on the existing literature, this paper aims to clarify whether, and to what extent, sustainability practices translate into economic sustainability and competitive advantage for wine firms. A systematic literature review was conducted following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, analyzing 106 peer‐reviewed studies retrieved from Scopus and Web of Science. Drawing on a competitive advantage framework, the review examines the economic effects of sustainability across three dimensions: production performance, market performance, and overall economic outcomes. The analysis integrates firm‐level evidence with demand‐side studies, including consumers' willingness to pay for sustainability attributes. The results reveal heterogeneous evidence regarding the association between sustainability and economic performance. Resource‐efficient practices often support cost reductions, while capital‐intensive investments may negatively affect short‐term profitability. On the market side, sustainability can enhance differentiation and reputation, although price premiums are generally moderate and confined to specific consumer segments. Overall, economic benefits tend to emerge primarily in the medium to long term when sustainability is strategically integrated into firms' operations and market positioning.