Sustainability trends in the wine industry: Cognitive biases and methodological insights from a PRISMA review

Abstract

Sustainability—the characteristic, property, and goal of every responsible, mature, rational, and environmentally sensitive organization—has gained undeniable and incredible traction in the wine industry over the last few decades, influencing wine-making procedures and packaging. Determined actors inside and outside the industry have identified key environmental concerns, such as energy efficiency or recycling, that support promoting a sustainable industry. To explore how sustainability is implemented in the wine sector, we, the authors of this paper, conducted a systematic literature review methodology. The PRISMA model served as our primary criteria for focusing the literature search and was utilized in its execution. Our study analyses thirty scholarly publications, which are categorized according to three primary themes: (1) Wineries and Sustainability; (2) Wineries and Cognitive Biases; and (3) Wineries and Sustainability and Cognitive Biases. The novelty of the study lies in its use of a systematic literature review (SLR) to investigate the complex interaction between wine, cognitive biases, and sustainability with a combined focus. The findings point to the understudied domain of consumers' cognitive biases regarding alternate wine packaging. Our results show that there is potential for improvement in the wine sector in terms of sustainable packaging and the consumer behavior of accepting or rejecting specific packaging options. These areas are considered worthy of future holistic approach investigation because alternative packaging is critical to making the industry more environmentally friendly. Still, if consumers cannot accept and purchase wine thus packaged, such raises further questions. Our study may be helpful to stakeholders in the wine sector as practitioners increasingly seek to incorporate and promote sustainable practices in their operations.