Decolonizing the Vine: Global Epistemologies, Ancestral Practices, and Wine Quality Beyond Eurocentric Paradigms Based on Evidence from a Systematic Review

Abstract

(1) Background: Wine quality is not a neutral category, but a historically situated construct shaped by classification systems, sensory conventions, varietal prestige, territorial recognition, and market legitimacy. These frameworks have been central to modern wine culture, yet their influence may limit the visibility of local and community-based knowledge systems across historically marginalized viticultural regions. (2) Methods: A systematic review was conducted following PRISMA 2020 guidelines and using the SPICE framework to define the research question. Records from academic databases and complementary sources were screened through predefined criteria and synthesized using thematic analysis. (3) Results: The review shows that colonial and postcolonial histories have influenced the recognition of wine regions, grape varieties, viticultural practices, vineyard landscapes, and quality criteria. Local knowledge, ancestral practices, old vines, heritage grape varieties, and cultural heritage emerge as relevant dimensions of wine value. The reviewed studies suggest that broadening current approaches to wine quality requires greater recognition of cultural, historical, territorial, and locally rooted forms of knowledge. (4) Conclusions: Decolonizing viticulture provides an analytical framework for broadening wine quality beyond established sensory, varietal, and market criteria, while integrating cultural, territorial, and ecological dimensions with scientific and technical knowledge.

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