Conventional Wines Research Articles

How much is a bottle of conventional, organic or biodynamic wine worth? Results of an experimental auction

Today, worldwide, we note a growing demand for wines made following techniques with an eye to environmental sustainability. Consumers readily find organic wines at sales outlets, along with other products made following techniques that comply with even more restrictive environmental constraints, such as biodynamic techniques. While on one hand, winemakers are encouraged to market products obtained in respect of certain environmental standards, on the other, they are asked to evaluate the economic convenience of this operation. In view of structuring coherent company strategies, and faced with clearly higher production costs, understanding the premium price consumers are willing to pay for sustainable wines assumes fundamental importance. Our paper focuses on this problem, attempting to analyse consumer preferences and willingness to pay for wines produced following conventional, organic, and biodynamic methods. Implementing a second-price experimental auction, we elicited the willingness to pay for the three types of wine and assessed premiums based on scenarios that considered both information and tasting. We found that the willingness to pay for biodynamic wines was lower than for organic wines, and higher than for conventional wines. With organic wines, credence attributes play a much more important role than experience attributes in determining consumer preferences. Moreover, familiarity with biodynamic wines positively affects the willingness to pay for them. Our study highlights interesting management and marketing implications for producers and retailers of organic and biodynamic wines: in particular, the importance of increasing knowledge about the production technique adopted and, specifically, developing information campaigns that target the biodynamic production technique.

An Overview on Sustainability in the Wine Production Chain

Despite the great relevance of sustainable development, the absence of a shared approach to sustainable vitiviniculture is evident. This review aimed to investigate sustainability along the entire wine chain, from primary production to the finished wine, with specific attention to three key dimensions of sustainability (environmental, social, and economic) and relating measures. Therefore, it was decided to: investigate the ways in which sustainability is applied in the various stages of the production chain (wine growing, wineries, distribution chain, and waste management); analyse the regulations in force throughout the world and the main labelling systems; provide numerical information on sustainable grapes and wines; study the objective quality of sustainable wines and that perceived by consumers, considering that it affects their willingness to pay. The research highlighted that rules and regulations on organic production of grapes and wines are flanked by several certification schemes and labelling systems. Although sustainable wines represent a niche in the market, in recent years, there has been an increase in vineyards conducted with sustainable (mainly organic and biodynamic) methods, and a consequent increase in the production of sustainable wines both in traditional and emerging producing countries. Although (or perhaps precisely for this reason) no significant differences in quality are found among sustainable and conventional wines, consumers are willing to pay a premium for sustainably produced wines. This finding should encourage wineries to both put in place environmental activities and intensify their communication.

Sustainable practices and product quality: Is there value in eco-label certification? The case of wine

In theory, eco-labels have great potential to reduce the environmental and social impact of products via consumer choice. In practice, the diffusion of eco-labels remains limited, with consumers expressing concerns about their value. One problem is a perceived tradeoff between the eco-label sustainable attributes and the quality of the product. In this paper, we examine whether this tradeoff is also perceived by product experts. Using the case of wine, we test the impact eco-labels have on experts' ratings of product quality. We use information about the quality of French wines from three major experts' guides, with information on third-party organic and biodynamic certified eco-labels, as well as self-declared eco-labels without third-party certification. Our findings, based on 128,182 wines, suggest that the third-party certified organic and biodynamic labels lead to improved ratings (+6.2 and + 5.6 percentage points respectively) as compared to conventional wines. These findings indicate that experts have a different appreciation of the quality of eco-certified wines than some consumers. However, self-declared eco-labels that include non-certified sustainable practices, received similar ratings to conventional wines in the best-case scenario. This indicates that non-certified sustainable practices can be associated with greenwashing and endanger the perceived value of eco-labels more generally.

German Consumers’ Perceptions of Organic Wine—A Qualitative Approach

This study aims to examine what German wine consumers know and think about organic wine. It also investigates the effects that knowledge and attitudes have on wine purchasing decisions. Data for this survey were collected using a qualitative approach, with 12 focus group discussions at three different locations in Germany, observations of wine choices and an acceptance test to assess consumers’ knowledge of and reactions to organic wine. Most wine consumers are unaware if a wine is organic when they purchase it. A general skepticism and lack of knowledge about organic wines undermine any active demand for these products. Information and comparisons between the production of organic and conventional wines can improve awareness and consideration of the organic variety and increase consumers’ willingness to buy organic wine. To increase the active demand for organic wine, its attributes need to be communicated to consumers. This can be achieved by improving the visibility of organic certification, conducting information campaigns to inform consumers about wine and organic wine production and collaborating with organic wine associations to advance the public image of organic wines.

+Brettanomyces bruxellensis Displays Variable Susceptibility to Chitosan Treatment in Wine.

Brettanomyces bruxellensis is the main spoilage microbial agent in red wines. The use of fungal chitosan has been authorized since 2009 as a curative treatment to eliminate this yeast in conventional wines and in 2018 in organic wines. As this species is known to exhibit great genetic and phenotypic diversity, we examined whether all the strains responded the same way to chitosan treatment. A collection of 53 strains of B. bruxellensis was used. In the conditions of the reference test, all were at least temporarily affected by the addition of chitosan to wine, with significant decrease of cultivable population. Some (41%) were very sensitive and no cultivable yeast was detected in wine or lees after 3 days of treatment, while others (13%) were tolerant and, after a slight drop in cultivability, resumed growth between 3 and 10 days and remained able to produce spoilage compounds. There were also many strains with intermediate behavior. The strain behavior was only partially linked to the strain genetic group. This behavior was little modulated by the physiological state of the strain or the dose of chitosan used (within the limits of the authorized doses). On the other hand, for a given strain, the sensitivity to chitosan treatment was modulated by the chitosan used and by the properties of the wine in which the treatment was carried out.

Vive la Difference! The Effects of Natural and Conventional Wines on Blood Alcohol Concentrations: A Randomized, Triple-Blind, Controlled Study.

Different alcoholic beverages can have different effects on blood alcohol concentration (BAC) and neurotoxicity, even when equalized for alcohol content by volume. Anecdotal evidence suggested that natural wine is metabolized differently from conventional wines. This triple-blind study compared the BAC of 55 healthy male subjects after consuming the equivalent of 2 units of alcohol of a natural or conventional wine over 3 min in two separate sessions, one week apart. BAC was measured using a professional breathalyzer every 20 min after consumption for 2 h. The BAC curves in response to the two wines diverged significantly at twenty minutes (interval T20) and forty minutes (interval T40), and also at their maximum concentrations (peaks), with the natural wine inducing a lower BAC than the conventional wine [T20 = 0.40 versus 0.46 (p < 0.0002); T40 = 0.49 versus 0.53 (p < 0.0015); peak = 0.52 versus 0.56 (p < 0.0002)]. These differences are likely related to the development of different amino acids and antioxidants in the two wines during their production. This may in turn affect the kinetics of alcohol absorption and metabolism. Other contributing factors could include pesticide residues, differences in dry extract content, and the use of indigenous or selected yeasts. The study shows that with the same quantity and conditions of intake, natural wine has lower pharmacokinetic and metabolic effects than conventional wine, which can be assumed due to the different agronomic and oenological practices with which they are produced. It can therefore be hypothesized that the consumption of natural wine may have a different impact on human health from that of conventional wine.

Consumers’ Perceptions of Sustainable Wine: An Exploratory Study in France and Italy

This study offers new insights into the sustainable wine market by exploring consumers’ perceptions of product attributes for six categories of wine that have characteristics of sustainability and one conventional wine. The study investigates product-attribute associations that French and Italian consumers attach to sustainable wines, and whether consumers’ involvement with wine and propensity towards ethically-minded behaviours affect their perceptions of sustainable wines. The research employs a cross-country analysis of France and Italy, and uses a free-choice approach to reveal consumers’ perceptions. The perceptual maps highlight the different attribute dimensions associated with conventional wines and sustainable wines. Health benefits, taste, and ethics emerge as the most relevant discriminant dimensions. The study finds that consumers involved with wine demonstrate a greater ability to evaluate product-attribute associations for sustainable wines than do ethically-minded consumers who are not involved with wine. The study elaborates some practical implications of this result for wineries. In particular, the study highlights that consumers associate different characteristics and beneficial aspects with different categories of sustainable wines; this also depends on their level of involvement with wine. The results demonstrate that sustainable wine marketers should, in their marketing and communication, take into stronger consideration the level of consumer involvement with wine and the specific associations made by consumers with the sustainable wine category they want to promote.

Do implicit and explicit attitudes explain organic wine purchase intention?

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to recognise the role of implicit and explicit attitudes on organic wine purchase intention and to segment consumers using these variables.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conducted a two-part Web survey (n = 690) in Spain: an Implicit Association Test followed by a questionnaire on explicit attitudes, purchase intention and demographic data. Validity and reliability of these attitudes are contrasted using confirmatory factor analysis, attitude relationships with purchase intention using multiple linear regression analysis, and segments using k-means cluster and discriminant analyses.FindingsThe authors improve the measurement of explicit attitudes explaining organic wine purchase intention. Only attitudes towards intrinsic attributes and arousal feelings significantly explain purchase intention. Two attitudinal segments are detected, one showing moderate purchase intention with high explicit attitudinal levels and high consumption of organic wine and the other showing low levels of purchase intention and explicit attitudes, consuming mainly conventional wines. Neither segment shows any relevant differences in implicit attitudes.Practical implicationsThe analysis offers information on attitudes that contribute to explain Spanish consumer purchase intention in a wine sector notable for focusing more on making quality products than by knowing its market.Originality/valueThe authors offer deeper understanding of the influence of attitudes on organic wine purchase intention. This paper also presents an attitudinal segmentation of consumers.

Resistant grape varieties and market acceptance: an evaluation based on experimental economics

We analyze consumers’ evaluations of white wines from resistant varieties, produced in the Languedoc winegrowing region of France (2016 vintage). We use the results from a laboratory experiment performed in Paris in June 2017, where a panel of more than one hundred and sixty consumers, regular buyers of this type of wine, were asked to evaluate a wine of the Bouquet 3159 grape variety (monogenic variety resistant to mildew and powdery mildew and optimized for quality) and compare it with two conventional wines of different quality levels, and with a certified organic wine of similar type and price. The environmental and health performances and the production methods of the different wines were quantified according to several indicators: treatment frequency indicator (TFI) and pesticide residue analysis.&#x0D; The consumers first evaluated the wines after tasting, having been given only a minimum amount of information about the region of origin and the vintage, then again after receiving information on production methods and the levels of our indicators. The method used to lend credibility to individual valuations used experimental economics, via a mechanism based on direct disclosure of their willingness to pay (maximum purchase price for a bottle of wine according to available information). The results showed that, on a purely sensory level, consumers had difficulty in accepting wine from a resistant variety. We were then able to see that communication focusing on environmental and health performances very much improved the position of the resistant variety of wine, putting it ultimately at the top of the average qualitative evaluations. In economic terms, we show that this promotion results in high market share, gained from conventional wines. Market share losses were lower, however, for the premium conventional wine, suggesting that the higher quality wines would be less directly challenged by wines produced from resistant varieties.

Comparative Study of Physicochemical and Bacteriological Characteristics of Banana Wines Produced by Conventional and Modern Techniques in Southern province of Rwanda

This study aimed to evaluate the physicochemical and bacteriological characteristics of different types of banana wine (Urwagwa) produced in Southern province of Rwanda. Both conventional (not bottled i.e from Bulinga (B) and Gahogo (GA)) and modern produced banana (bottled i.e Igisubizo from Ruli (I) and Ganzinyota from Ruvumera (G)) wines were analyzed and compared. Results showed that the alcohol content (v/v) of I, G, B and GA was 25.9% , 26.1%, 12.0% and 40.1 %, respectively while their total soluble contents were 15.2%, 12.2%, 21.7% and 21.8%, respectively. Titratable acidity (g/L) varied from 5.29 to 6.95 while pH varied from 4.45 to 3.30. The volatile acidity was found to be 0.49, 0.040, 0.147 and 0.19 g of acetic acid for wines I, G, B and GA, respectively. The turbidity was significantly higher in conventional wines than in modern ones. Sulfur dioxide content, heavy metals and minerals respected the standard norms however, potassium content (mg/L) was higher in wines B (1207) and GA (1107,21) and Pb was not recognized in all samples. Furthermore, wines GA accounted higher Escherichia coli (3 x 107 cfu/ml) and Staphylococci aureus (1.5 x 107 cfu/ml). In conclusion, these results indicated that the safety of un-bottled wine was far lower compared to that of bottled ones.

Organic price premium or penalty? A comparative market analysis of organic wines from Tuscany

Previous literature suggests that the price of wine is a function of its intrinsic and extrinsic attributes. Studies have examined the price of wines from various wine producing regions using the hedonic price model to determine the correlation between wine attributes and price. However few studies have examined the relationship between organic production or certification and price. This study uses a hedonic pricing model to examine the price premiums associated with organic production and organic certification for Tuscan red wines produced between 2000 and 2008 in both the Italian and American wine markets. Controlling for a variety of wine attributes, the analysis finds that wines produced with organic practices, but not certified as organic and wines certified, but not labeled as organic receive a higher price compared to conventional wine, for wines with low quality ratings. However, as the wine’s quality rating increases, the positive effects of organic practices and certification on price decrease, and for wine with higher quality ratings, organic practices and certification is associated with lower prices relative to otherwise comparable conventional wines.

Estimating the willingness to pay for a sustainable wine using a Heckit model

Sustainability is an important challenge for wineries. Although sustainability represents a way to differentiate wines and to meet some market segment demands, it also constitutes a necessary strategy to guarantee the future development of the wine sector. However, some wineries state that production costs are higher for sustainable wines than for conventional wines. Thus, the goal of this paper is to analyze the premium price that consumers are willing to pay for a sustainable wine with respect to the price of a conventional wine with similar characteristics. An experiment based on contingent valuation was designed to test the differences in the willingness to pay for sustainable wines among market segments. Further, a Heckit model was estimated, which avoids the problems of the methodologies applied to date. Results reveal that most consumers are willing to pay a higher price for sustainable wines, and that there are differences among the main market segments. In addition, several variables regarding socio-economic characteristics of the consumer (age, gender and income) affect the willingness to pay. Results show that as consumers’ knowledge increases, willingness to pay a premium decreases and that consumers that are more concerned about the environment are willing to pay a higher premium.

The impact of mycorrhizal fungi on Sangiovese red wine production: Phenolic compounds and antioxidant properties

The aim of this work was to analyze the effect of a microbiological consortium, in particular mycorrhizal fungi, on the phytochemical composition and on the antioxidant properties of Sangiovese wines with respect to wines from conventional agriculture, paying particular attention to their oxidative stability following oxygen exposure.We determined by spectrophotometric methods and HPLC-DAD the phytochemical composition and by ORAC assay the antioxidant activity of wines. Besides, in order to evaluate the beneficial effects of both symbiotic and conventional wines, we investigated on human erythrocytes the cellular antioxidant activity (CAA) and the hemolysis inhibition.Our results showed that symbiotic wines had both a better oxidative stability and a significantly higher level of bioactive compounds compared to the conventional ones. Despite the bioactive compounds variation, no difference in antioxidant capacity was found. However, erythrocytes pre-treated with symbiotic wines exhibited higher biological activities than the equivalent conventional one.In conclusion, the use of a microbiological consortium represents an ecologically and economically relevant solution in vineyard cultivation to get high-quality wines, with improved nutritional and nutraceutical value.

Would you Pay a Price Premium for a Sustainable Wine? The Voice of the Spanish Consumer

Abstract Sustainability has become one of the most important challenges for wineries over the last decade. From a marketing point of view sustainability can be considered as a way to differentiate wines to meet some market segment demands. Furthermore, this strategy can be also considered necessary to guarantee the future development of the wine sector. Given that some wineries have stated that production costs are higher for sustainable wines than for conventional wines, the goal of this paper is to analyze the premium price that consumers are willing to pay for a sustainable wine with respect to the price of a conventional wine with similar characteristics. Contingent valuation has been used to test the differences in the willingness to pay for sustainable wines among the main Spanish wine market segments. Results reveal that most Spanish consumers are willing to pay a higher price for sustainable wines, and that there are differences among the main market segments.

Polyphenols content, phenolics profile and antioxidant activity of organic red wines produced without sulfur dioxide/sulfites addition in comparison to conventional red wines

Wine exerts beneficial effects on human health when it is drunk with moderation. Nevertheless, wine may also contain components negatively affecting human health. Among these, sulfites may induce adverse effects after ingestion. We examined total polyphenols and flavonoids content, phenolics profile and antioxidant activity of eight organic red wines produced without sulfur dioxide/sulfites addition in comparison to those of eight conventional red wines. Polyphenols and flavonoids content were slightly higher in organic wines in respect to conventional wines, however differences did not reach statistical significance. The phenolic acids profile was quite similar in both groups of wines. Antioxidant activity was higher in organic wines compared to conventional wines, although differences were not statistically significant. Our results indicate that organic red wines produced without sulfur dioxide/sulfites addition are comparable to conventional red wines with regard to the total polyphenols and flavonoids content, the phenolics profile and the antioxidant activity.

Possibilities of organic and conventional wines differentiation on the basis of multivariate analysis of their characteristics (EPR, UV–Vis, HPLC and AAS study)

Proving of affiliation of wine sample to either organic or conventional production system and of its geographical origin although important both for consumer safety and food control authorities is still problematic. Characteristics of Slovak and some European wines obtained by spectroscopic methods including atomic absorption spectroscopy, electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (EPR) and ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy in combination with high-performance liquid chromatography and isotachophoresis processed subsequently by multivariate statistics were successfully used to differentiate Slovak organic and conventional wines according to their affiliation to production system and, at the same time, to differentiate the Slovak organic and conventional wine samples from those, produced in other European countries. From totally 74 determined experimental characteristics, concentration of Fe and Cu, ferric-reducing power values, Trolox-equivalent antioxidant capacity values evaluated from ·DPPH assay by EPR (\(\tiny \small \text{TEAC}_{{^{\cdot} \text{DPPH(EPR)}}}\)), ascorbic acid equivalents (AAE), % of radicals scavenged, concentration of citric acid, catechin and epicatechin, but also color values a* and chromaticity were identified by ANOVA, Tukey’s HSD multiple comparison and stepwise discrimination tests as the most promising characteristics for white wines differentiation, whereas Fe content and AAE for the differentiation of red wines. Recognition and prediction ability tests of the Slovak white organic and conventional wines reached 100 %, whereas in case of red wines, correctness of recognition reached 90.5 % and of the prediction ability, 90 %. High correctness of differentiation of organic and conventional samples according to the origin of wine was obtained, reaching 95.8 % for white wines and 80.7 % for red wines, with two Slovak wines misclassified as wines of Czech origin.

Characterization of Selected Organic and Mineral Components of Qvevri Wines

The organic and mineral components of 20 qvevri wines from selected wineries throughout Europe were evaluated to gain insight into one of the oldest known methods of wine production. The pH, residual glucose, titratable acidity, specific organic acids (acetic, lactic, malic, and tartaric acids), phenolics (total phenolics and anthocyanins in red wines), total antioxidants, and selected minerals (phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, manganese, potassium and zinc) of the samples were measured. The data were compared with previously reported values for conventional wines. Qvevri wines were less acidic than conventional wines, containing higher levels of acetic and lactic acids but lower levels of tartaric acid. They also contained higher levels of antioxidants and total phenolics, the latter up to 10 times more abundant in the white wine varieties than in conventional wines. Despite fermentation in clay vessels, the mineral content of qvevri wines was within the normal reported range, although phosphorus levels were slightly higher. This is the only study that has considered the compositional nature of qvevri wines.

A survey on wines from organic viticulture from different European countries

A survey was carried out on a thousand wines from organic viticulture from different European countries. Analytical data were collected about the most used quality control parameters (e.g. alcoholic strength, reducing sugars, total acidity and pH, volatile acidity, malic and lactic acid, free and total sulfur dioxide), as well as regarding some compounds harmful for human health, such as ochratoxin A and biogenic amines. The results collected on quality control parameters were generally in agreement with the values normally detectable for conventional wines. Total sulfur dioxide was lower than 110–120 mg/L in the most of the samples and no significant correlation was found between sulfite levels and other parameters. Ochratoxin A (OTA) seemed not a generalized problem for organic wine productions: its concentration was below the European legal limit, in the 95% of the samples analyzed; nevertheless, the risk of OTA pollution seemed higher in certain southern European regions. On the other hand, biogenic amines (BA) appeared a serious problem for organic winemaking and high concentrations were found in many of the analyzed wines. They seemed connected with a bad management of malolactic fermentation, being generally associated with high pHs and volatile acidities.

The Price Premium for Organic Wines: Estimating a Hedonic Farm-Gate Price Equation

AbstractOrganic wines are increasingly produced and appreciated. Because organic production is more costly, a crucial question is whether they benefit from a price premium. We estimate hedonic price functions for Piedmont organic and conventional wines. We use data on the production side in addition to variables of interest to consumers. Our results show that, along with characteristics of interest to consumers, some farm and producer characteristics not directly relevant for consumers do significantly affect wine prices. We find that organic wine tends to obtain higher prices than conventional wine. The price premium is not simply an addition to other price components; organic quality modifies the impact of the other variables on price. (JEL Classification: C21, D49, L11, Q12)

Sensory descriptors, hedonic perception and consumer’s attitudes to Sangiovese red wine deriving from organically and conventionally grown grapes

In recent years, produce obtained from organic farming methods (i.e., a system that minimizes pollution and avoids the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides) has rapidly increased in developed countries. This may be explained by the fact that organic food meets the standard requirements for quality and healthiness. Among organic products, wine has greatly attracted the interest of the consumers. In the present study, trained assessors and regular wine consumers were respectively required to identify the sensory properties (e.g., odor, taste, flavor, and mouthfeel sensations) and to evaluate the hedonic dimension of red wines deriving from organically and conventionally grown grapes. Results showed differences related mainly to taste (sour and bitter) and mouthfeel (astringent) sensations, with odor and flavor playing a minor role. However, these differences did not influence liking, as organic and conventional wines were hedonically comparable. Interestingly, 61% of respondents would be willing to pay more for organically produced wines, which suggests that environmentally sustainable practices related to wine quality have good market prospects.