Terroir 2008 banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 Research summary on the use of Terroir as a wine purchasing cue

Research summary on the use of Terroir as a wine purchasing cue

Abstract

Due to the current challenging nature of the global wine market, and recent growth in number and strength of competitors from non-traditional wine producing countries, European wine producers are focussing on the potential to develop a competitive advantage through the concept of terroir. However, there are noteworthy challenges to this particular marketing strategy, not least of which is that despite wine industry members’ understanding of it, the consumer’s comprehension of terroir is unknown.
As such, a research project was developed to investigate what the consumer understands of terroir, and how the concept is applied for wine. This stage of the project found that the range of explanations of terroir were various and extensive, but most descriptions could safely be categorised into two components proffered by the wine sector, of the place and practices that contribute to a wine’s character. These two descriptions clustered effectively for consumers based on their experience and interest in wine, a concept also known as involvement. The results suggest that promotional appeals should be designed based on consumer involvement in wine. However, caution should be exercised before implementing any specific communication practices. These results stem from a non-representative sample of the population of France, thereby questioning the generalisability of the findings.
The next stage of this research should be to investigate the generalisability of these findings for the French market, with a view to expanding the scope, should the results support the findings from this study. As such, a group of French, and global collaborators have expressed their interest in adopting an emerging research methodology, called best-worst, which relies on the respondent ranking the importance of factors of wine purchasing. The project aims to realise the utility associated with terroir as a purchasing cue for consumers with different levels of involvement, with respect to other important factors of purchasing across different global markets, thus identifying an avenue of exploitation for the concept of terroir in both European, and export markets.

DOI:

Publication date: December 8, 2021

Issue: Terroir 2008

Type : Article

Authors

WILSON Damien, JOURJON Frédériqu

Ecole Supérieure d’Agriculture d’Angers, Laboratoire GRAPPE, 55 Rue Rabelais,
BP 30748, 49007 Angers Cedex 01, France

Contact the author

Keywords

Terroir, Consumers, Best-Worst Method, Involvement, Wine Purchasing Motivations

Tags

IVES Conference Series | Terroir 2008

Citation

Related articles…

Study of Malvasia di Candia Aromatica shelf-life: effect of time and temperature on aroma compounds through an HS-SPME GCxGC-Ms approach

Young white wines should be consumed within a short time after bottling to avoid loss of their fresh, fruity attributes. Shelf-life of white wines can be extended if they are stored under suitable conditions of time and temperature prior to consumption.

Les terroirs : variae causarum figurae

The jurist feels like an intruder when talking about terroirs. He looks at the press and tries to understand. We can read there about the cooking festival of May 30, 1996 which “..highlights products whose quality depends on a region”, that Camembert du pays d’Auge is the only one to be protected, I was thinking of camembert from Normandy, that 80% of Greek feta is made in the Netherlands, I thought it was in Denmark, and that the European Community protects geographical indications of IGP origin, probably a new category replacing the indications protected areas (1). I also learned that distributors are asking for more local products because “they come to confuse the cards in the part engaged with the big brands”. Carrefour has its “Terroirs and drawers”, Prisunic its “Vent d’Ouest”, Intermarché “Les bouquets du terroir”, Monoprix “Les terroirs de France” (2), Promodés and its brand “Reflets de France” for the “Continent” hypermarkets (3). At the same time it is asserted that “The term is a mere common noun. Unprotectable and therefore unprotected” (4).

Cell wall remodeling mediated by specific PME genes plays a role in grapevine response to Botrytis cinerea

Botrytis cinerea (Bc) is one of the main pathogens affecting the cultivated grapevine. A key role in grapevine tissue colonization is played by cell wall (CW) remodeling driven by CW Modifying Enzymes (CWMEs), expressed both by the host and the pathogen. Their action can impact CW integrity and trigger specific immune signaling, thus influencing Bc infection outcome. To further characterize the role of the CW in the grapevine response to Bc, two contrasting genotypes in their resistance to the fungus were artificially inoculated at full bloom. RNA-seq analysis and biochemical characterization of the CW and its modification in samples collected at 24 hours post-inoculation highlighted significant differences between genotypes.

Chemical characterization of distinctive aroma profiles of Valpolicella and Amarone wines

Valpolicella is an Italian wine producing region, famous for the production of high-quality red wines. A distinctive characteristic of this region is the extensive use of post-harvest withering.

Phenolic and volatile profiles of south tyrolean pinot blanc musts and young wines

AIM. Assess the impact of different vineyards and winemaking variables on the phenolic and volatile profiles of Pinot Blanc musts and young wines from South Tyrol.