Abstract
Purpose The complexity in determining the quality of a credence good like wine increases due to the lack of mandatory ingredient labeling. This has generated a significant information asymmetry in the wine market, leading consumers to delegate their purchase decisions to expert rankings and wine guides. This paper explores whether expert assessments reduce the information asymmetry caused by the absence of ingredient labeling in the wine market.Design/methodology/approach By employing analysis of variance (ANOVA) in a sample of 304 wines included in the Wine Guide of the Spanish Consumers Organization (OCU), this paper assesses the extent to which expert assessments based on sensory evaluations converge with the objective cues provided by laboratory analysis in wine quality evaluations.Findings Results reveal a mismatch between expert assessments and laboratory analyses. Chemical aspects such as SO2 levels or volatile acidity, sensorial factors such as intensity and persistence, and extrinsic variables such as the region of origin or wine type play an important role in the quality ranking of wines.Originality/value These findings call for the inclusion of objective intrinsic cues in expert sensory assessments to provide consumers reliable information about wines and to resolve the apparent dissonances in wine quality assessments.
Highlights
The organoleptic properties of wine are determined by a series of geographical and climatic characteristics, as well as vineyard and winery practices (Alonso González & Parga Dans, 2018)
Br differ from the objective intrinsic factors or laboratory analysis in the determination of wine quality
These results call for the use of additional or supplementary information in wine evaluation, to ensure providing better information to consumers and minimizing information asymmetries oo derived from the lack of ingredient labeling
Summary
The organoleptic properties of wine are determined by a series of geographical and climatic characteristics, as well as vineyard and winery practices (Alonso González & Parga Dans, 2018). Wine quality is difficult to define as it is a multifaceted product that lacks a generally accepted definition (Hopfer et al, 2015) Added to this are different subjective perceptions of quality, socio-demographic context, wine involvement and consumption occasion, which lead to varied emotional responses to the wine experience (Sáenz-Navajas et al, 2016a). This powerful subjective charge is demonstrated by authors such as Charters and Pettigrew (2007), who show that the perception of wine quality varies between different populations. Extrinsic cues refer to wine characteristics that are not physically connected with it, including labels, bottles, certificates, designation of origin, brand, awards or aesthetics
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