Overcoming the reproduction of the value(s) system in wine: insights from Southern Arizona

Abstract

ABSTRACT The underrepresentation of the diversity of wine production around the globe, the standardization of varieties, wine styles, and taste, as well as the imbalance between grapes and place specificity, are global effects of the reproduction of the wine value(s) system. From the context of emerging winegrowing places and through a qualitative analysis of diverse experiences among the first generation of Sonoita-Elgin (Arizona, USA) wine producers, this paper explores the influence of wine value(s) system hierarchy on their practice, knowledge, and development. Despite its low representation and visibility globally, emerging wine places like Arizona are introducing new actors to the global wine scene, questioning the homogenization of varieties and styles, the efficiency of evaluation and classification programs based on geographical indication models, and the challenges of achieving collective representations and global recognition of quality. The particularities of Sonoita-Elgin wine producers facing these challenges reveal alternative perspectives and attributes of the relationship between place of origin, value, and quality. In that regard, this work illustrates how these new interpretations represent the current transformation of the practices, ideas, and meanings in the production and consumption of wine, contributing to critical debates on change.