The appellative 'denominazione geografica' in the marketing of grappa from Trentino

This paper looks at some aspects of the grappa industry of Trentino and, in particular, a specific component of product policy of the local firms, discussing the role that the local firms assign to the denominazione geografica ( DG ), the appel lative that gives the geographical origin of the product and is subject to a specific regulation. After an overview of this regulation and a brief analysis of the grappa consumer, the paper presents the results of a research carried out in Trentino. The st ructure of the grappa industry is outlined, showing that it is based mainly on small and micro firms, while for the bigger ones grappa is not the main product. The strategic options available to these different categories of firms, are varied and also thei r approach to DG and to its use as a marketing tool is diverse. DG is gaining in importance as a marketing tool, at least for firms in this sector. However, it has not the same importance it has for other food products from Trentino. There are varied reaso ns for the use of DG but these highlight a certain tendency to product orientation. DG appears, thus, to be a widely used instrument by the firms of Trentino but not in a strong manner in order to distinguish and position the product effectively on the mar ket. There are also indications that several GS firms are overcoming this limit and that they are orientated towards using this instrument in order to occupy niche positions on the market.