Purpose This paper's objective is to investigate consumers' and producers' expectations towards geographical indications (GIs) in a German context, where this certification scheme has not been widely used so far. Design/methodology/approach Data for the consumer side were obtained by a structured questionnaire. A total of 741 consumers were asked online with respect to their knowledge and expectations towards geographical indications in general and Hessian apple wine in particular. The collected data were analysed by an explorative factor analysis and a binary logit model. Additionally, data for the producer side were collected via an in‐depth interview with one major producer of Hessian apple wine. Findings The consumer side results indicate that Hessian consumers' awareness and knowledge about GIs is very limited. Moreover, it is found that the quality warranty dimension is not as important as the economic support dimension and perceived authenticity of the product. A hypothetical willingness to pay for protection is mainly driven by consumer perceptions and expectations towards the positive impacts of geographical indications on the local economy. The producer side results highlight that the most important motivation to apply for a protected G1 (PGI) is to secure the established reputation against misuse by competing producers in order to ensure the quality level of Hessian apple wine. Practical implications The findings indicate that a PGI is by no means a self‐runner. The positive impacts of this certification scheme have to be communicated to consumers in order to be successful. Originality/value Empirical evidence regarding consumers' knowledge and expectations towards geographical indications in a non‐Mediterranean context is limited. The present paper contributes to the existing literature by providing empirical evidence for a German case study.
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