South African Wine Research Articles

Cultural differences in wine conceptualization among consumers in France, Portugal and South Africa

Consumers’ mental pictures of wine are multifaceted and are shaped by their sensory (taste, smell, visual, sensation) perceptions, in addition to emotional, cultural and extrinsic (brand, price, and awards) influences. This study explores whether consumers from three different wine cultures share mental representations of three wine concepts. Through an online survey, French, Portuguese, and South African wine consumers described their conceptualizations of Wine, Red wine and White wine aroma. Given these nations’ rich winemaking traditions and diverse wine styles, differences in consumer perspectives were likely to emerge. The findings demonstrate that, regardless of cultural background, the broad concept of Wine aligns with the more specific Red and White wine conceptualizations, although the latter concepts diverge from each other. Notably, cultural contexts significantly influence participants’ representations of Red Wine, with particularly marked contrasts between the South African and French respondents. This suggests that like experts, wine consumers have also built representations of wine through semantic memory. This cross-cultural analysis of consumer interpretations of wine concepts holds the potential for refining marketing strategies to overcome cultural barriers in wine purchasing behaviour.

The liability of emergingness and country-of-origin effect on South African wine

Purpose: The study explores the country-of-origin effect on the product evaluation of wine offerings from South Africa in European markets. We examine whether a liability of emergingness manifests and its characteristics from an African context.Design/methodology/approach: Using a qualitative approach, we examine the country-of-origin effect building on the existing theories and gaining insights from multiple perspectives and participants who are involved in the South African and European wine supply chains.Findings/results: We reveal country-product category interaction and show that the wine category has certain dynamics (complexity, vastness of choice, and limited consumer knowledge) that leads consumers to rely more on extrinsic properties in their product evaluations. We show that a liability of foreignness and emergingness, and particularly Africanness, is at work in terms of the product evaluation of South African wine in European markets.Practical implications: We integrate the country-of-origin effect with the liability of foreignness (specifically emergingness and Africanness) research and demonstrate its manifestation in an African context. We contribute towards emerging market country-of-origin effect research, highlighting the liability of emergingness, and unpack its multidimensionality and connections between product category and country engagement dynamics, and how these are affected by consumer involvement, the retail environment, and engagement with expertise.Originality/value: Understanding how country-of-origin effects manifest with products from emerging markets is of increasing importance given the continued economic shifts towards that part of the world. We examine avenues for South African producers to mitigate country-of-origin effects.

The effect of South African wine certifications on price premiums and marginal costs: A two-stage hedonic approach

This paper analyses whether there are price premiums for certified and black economic empowerment (BEE) South African wines in the domestic market and the major export markets (Germany, United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Belgium) and estimates what (marginal) costs are related to supplying these certifications. The results suggest price premiums for BEE wines, while for certified wines price premiums only apply in some markets and especially for those certifications that focus on the environment and organic production, but not for those that focus on fair trade or labor. The results for marginal costs suggest that subsidized BEE wines sell lower quantities but gain access to higher price segments, while the opposite holds true for certified wines. Additionally, for certified wines (except Fairtrade), younger and private producers have a comparative cost advantage.

Fairtrade Wine in South Africa: Does Fairtrade Labelling Guarantee Social Upgrading for Farmworkers?

Fairtrade International (FTI) is an international certificatory body that seeks to restructure market relationships to support marginalised producers. In order to do this, FTI sells certified products at a higher price, allowing for a Fairtrade premium to be provided to the otherwise marginalised producers. In the South African wine industry, FTI has extended its certification to large-scale wine producers, despite the extensive history of exploitation and oppression that has framed the industry in which these producers operate. This article asks if the Fairtrade label provides social upgrading to the farmworkers of these producers. In exploring the experiences of 30 Fairtrade farmworkers across five Fairtrade-certified farms, this article concludes that Fairtrade certification does not guarantee social upgrading. Instead, historical issues of dependency are being perpetuated on some wine farms despite their Fairtrade certification.

Sour grapes and sweet harmony: Historicizing collective action problems in the South African wine industry

AbstractThe article addresses how merchants and wine producers interacted while oscillating between competition and collaboration in their internal relations. Spanning a period of more than a century, it addresses three chronological periods: 1900–1940, 1940–1994, and 1994 to the present. In the first, producers were able to forge a common front against the merchants in the shape of the Koöperatieve Wynbouwers Vereniging van Suid-Afrika, which was granted devolved regulatory powers over distilling wine in 1924 and then all wine in 1940. In the second, the antagonism between good and distilling producers was sublimated at a time of relative prosperity, while the merchants engaged in fierce competition. In the final phase, the regulatory system imploded while the export market re-emerged. Quality producers found common ground in appealing to terroir, whereas marginal producers supplied merchants and supermarkets with low-priced bulk wines.

Is sustainability governance abetting inequality? Reflections from the South African wine value chain

Private and public governance instruments seeking to ensure sustainability in agro-food value chains have become ubiquitous in the past three decades. Virtually all major retailers, agro-food processors and international commodity traders have been involved in one or another sustainability initiative or multistakeholder engagement. An emerging critical literature shows that achieving sustainability goals along value chains often comes at the cost of profitability at the production level. While some hope has been placed on South-driven sustainability standards to better reflect local needs and contexts, their record in doing so has been mixed. In this article, we examine how different kinds of sustainability governance affect inequality within and along the South African wine value chain. We show that sustainability governance is not paying off for many grape growers and wine producers in South Africa, nor is it supporting entry and ownership of historically disadvantaged persons (HDPs) – despite the government’s stated transformation objectives. We conclude that sustainability governance is abetting existing inequalities and question the ability of current initiatives to shape more just, equitable and environmentally-friendly value chains. We also argue that any future discussion of sustainability and its governance in global value chains should also be a discussion of inequality.

Differentiation of Geographic Origin of South African Wines from Austrian Wines by IRMS and SNIF-NMR.

Geographic origin and terroir are very important parameters for wine and significantly impact price. Incorrect declarations are known to occur intentionally to increase profit, thus, measures for control are required. Accompanying paperwork has been shown to be unreliable, thus, control of the product itself is required. Here we investigate and compare the stable isotope pattern of South African (Western Cape Province) wine, and evaluate its potential for discrimination from Central European/Austrian wine. The results show that the isotope values of the investigated South African wine samples differ significantly from the values of average Austrian (Central European) wines. Thus, a differentiation of the products from these two regions by stable isotope analysis is generally straightforward. However, the data suggest that vintages from years with exceptionally hot and dry summer weather in Europe may reduce the differentiation between these regions. Therefore, this method is a potent tool for the discrimination of Austrian (Central European) and South African wines under current climatic conditions, although drier and hotter summer weather in Europe, which is likely to occur more frequently due to global climate change, may require further method adjustments in the future.

The interrelationship of family identities, personalities, and expressions on family winery websites

PurposeFamily businesses feature prominently in economies, including the South African wine industry, using websites to convey their family identity. This research paper aims to explore the family identity elements that family wineries use on their websites, their alignment and how these are communicated online.Design/methodology/approachBased on Gioia’s methodology, a two-pronged approach was used to analyze 113 wineries’ websites’ text using Atlas. ti from an interpretivist perspective.FindingsSouth African wineries use corporate identity, corporate personality and corporate expression to illustrate their familiness on their websites. It is portrayed through their family name and heritage, supported by their direction, purpose and aspirations, which emerge from the family identity and personality. These are dynamic and expressed through verbal and visual elements. Wineries described their behaviour, relevant competencies and passion as personality traits. Sustainability was considered an integral part of their brand promise, closely related to their family identity and personality, reflecting their family-oriented philosophy. These findings highlight the integration that exists among these components.Practical implicationsTheoretically, this study proposes a family business brand identity framework emphasising the centrality of familiness to its identity, personality and expression. Using websites to illustrate this familiness is emphasised with the recommendation that family businesses leverage this unique attribute in their identity to communicate their authenticity.Originality/valueThis study contributes to understanding what family wineries communicate on their websites, specifically by examining the elements necessary to create a family business brand based on the interrelationship between family identity, personality and expression with familiness at its core, resulting in a proposed family business brand identity framework.

Should Wine History Have a Post-colonial Future? British Imperial Viticulture and Settler Colonialism

As the history of wine emerges as a field of scholarly study, scholars may wish to consider the historiographical and theoretical approaches best suited to its study, particularly in regards to recent research into the central role of colonization in the global spread of viticulture. This article gives an overview of some major historiographical approaches to wine history, noting the general absence of overarching discussions of imperialism and colonialism. Then, to illustrate some of the complexities of applying these frameworks, it considers two related stories, and briefly retells them through each of three theoretical lenses. The first story is of the creation and operation of the Burgoyne Company, the major British importer of Australian and South African wine from the 1870s through the 1950s. The second story is of Burgoyne, and others, importing their wine into the Irish market. These microhistories illustrate what is potentially at stake, and what is complicated, in incorporating colonial and post-colonial frameworks into our understanding of wine history.

Dependency, Paternalism and Financial Control of Women on South African Wine Farms

This study examined the experiences of women farmworkers on South African wine farms, which have a troubling history of paternalism and dependency. This article discusses the enactment of patriarchal norms on South African wine farms today, especially concerning women of colour. Our qualitative study draws on the experiences of 30 farmworkers on five wine farms in the Western Cape. We argue that the women on these farms are reduced to the most exploited participants in the production network and that their exploitation and dependency subsidise the functioning of farm production networks. Our study finds that farms are able to secure the reproductive and casual labour of women through their dependency on men as their partners and farmers, with their partners sometimes acting as informal labour brokers. Increased labour casualisation on wine farms places women at risk, exposing them to the danger of financial control and abuse. We conclude that current norms and practices on South African wine farms rely on the continued oppression of women farmworkers.

Identities and the pursuit of legitimacy: A study of black women wine industry entrepreneurs

PurposeThe aim of this study is to better understand how black women utilize capital to frame their entrepreneurial identities in order to become legitimate and thus challenge institutional norms. To achieve this, the study draws on perspectives on legitimacy, identity and capital and focuses on the well-established wine industry in South Africa.Design/methodology/approachUsing in-depth qualitative data from semi-structured interviews, this study delves into the lived experiences of nine black women entrepreneurs and three stakeholders in the South African wine industry. Such a context is unique because of the aspects of exclusion and segregation of black women. The data were supplemented with associated secondary material and were analysed using the constant comparative technique.FindingsThis study reveals dissonance, that is, a misfit, between black women's social identities and their entrepreneurial self-identities in the South African wine industry; the study uncovers that specific capital forms allow framing their identity through heroical self-description, exploiting professionalism and enacting new roles to alter the perception of what is socially legitimate in the wine industry.Originality/valueThis study contributes to understanding by highlighting that black women entrepreneurs in the wine industry rebel against the expectation that they must fit into a predetermined role. The study highlights the relevance of legitimacy, identity and capital theoretical perspectives to study an underexplored context and unpack how black women challenge the barriers that affect their entrepreneurial identities in their quest to become legitimate. The value of this study revolves around revealing the underexplored connection between entrepreneurial identity and legitimacy through actions taken by black women entrepreneurs when reworking the role(s) tied to their social identities. The findings suggest the importance of capital, particularly cultural capital, in how black women entrepreneurs become legitimate in the wine industry. Avenues for further research are offered.

Wine farmworkers, provenance stories and ethical value claims

ABSTRACT The article extends past research on ethical value claims in two ways. First, research often centres on certifications as mechanisms of ethical claims-making; in contrast, we focus on provenance stories as devices of wine brand differentiation and ethical value creation. Second, while value claims are broadly understood as co-creative outcomes involving producers, intermediaries, and consumers, we focus on manual farmworkers, who are largely absent, as story subjects and storytellers, in agri-food provenance stories and value claims. Focusing on the South African wine industry, we sought to identify alignments between winery brand stories and farmworker heritage stories as a potential route for farmworkers to contribute to and be more securely included and recognized within premium wine value chains. Analysis of a comparative sample of South African, French, Italian and Australian winery websites identified provenance as the dominant frame for ethical value claims, family as a primary anchor for provenance, and South Africa’s distinctive prevalence of representations of farmworkers in winery communications. Two ‘storytelling workshops’ with Cape Wineland farmworkers generated resonant themes – community and familiness; expertise and pride – that aligned with dominant market expectations and credence cues, and could potentially serve as credible, authentic anchors for South African wine value claims.

A proposed risk framework as a tool for sustainability for the South African wine industry

Aim: There is an existing gap in the literature that addresses the importance of risk management as a tool for sustainability in the winemaker’s activities and operations. The purpose of this article is to propose a risk management framework for the South African wine industry that can be used as a tool for sustainability.Setting: The study comprised 10 participants at five wine-producing estates located in the five different wine-growing areas within the Stellenbosch region.Method: The study is exploratory in nature, adopting a case study approach. Interviews with wine producers in the Stellenbosch region of the Western Cape province of South Africa were conducted in order to identify the various risks they face.Result: A thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. The four steps of risk management were used as a reference point and to underpin the proposed risk management framework. The study was done using the Supply Chain Operations Reference model, which is divided into six process categories, namely plan, source, make, deliver, return and enable.Conclusion: The article makes a twofold contribution. Firstly, wine producers might use the proposed framework to identify and mitigate their risks and thus as a tool for sustainability. Secondly, the proposed framework is expected to contribute to the existing body of knowledge on risk management and sustainability.

That old saying about wine and age: identifying South African age-cohort preferences

PurposeThis study aims to identify the preferences of wine consumers based on age cohorts to identify differences in consumption from a developing country perspective, with a predominantly younger population, to determine wine consumption longevity.Design/methodology/approachThe target population was wine consumers in South Africa. Through convenience sampling, the data were collected in 2020 via a self-administered online questionnaire. In total, 20,997 fully completed the questionnaire. The age categories of the respondents were assigned to a particular age cohort to differentiate the market.FindingsThe age cohorts revealed five cohorts, namely, Gen Z: 18–24 years (11%); Young Gen Y: 25–34 years (32%); Mature Gen Y: 35–44 years (25%); Gen X: 45–54 years (17%); and Baby boomers: 55+ years (15%). Segmenting South African wine consumers based on their age cohorts revealed statistically significant differences based on their socio-demographics, wine preferences and consumption behavior. A typology of domestic wine consumers is consequently proposed: basic, budget conscious and image-oriented wine drinking Gen Z’s; experimenting and enjoyment-oriented wine drinking Young Gen Y-ers; aspirational and purposive wine drinking Mature Gen Y-ers; ritual-oriented, avid and conspicuous wine drinking Gen X-ers; and conservative, value-seeking and experienced wine drinking Baby Boomers.Practical implicationsThis knowledge has important marketing implications and can create a greater appreciation for South African wines among the different age cohorts. The research shows the value of the generational theory in understanding wine consumers’ consumption and highlights the importance of analyzing different generations rather than solely focusing on one, as this could lead to mismanagement of resources.Originality/valueThis is one of the most comprehensive national surveys aimed at the South African wine consumer. The research fills the current literature gap regarding the characteristics of the different age cohorts and shows how wine consumption and preferences may change over time.

Mitigation and Adaptation Practices to the Impact of Climate Change on Wine Grape Production, with Special Reference to the South African Context

In South Africa, environmentally and socio-economically sustainable wine grape production is promotedby governmental and private initiatives. All the initiatives contribute to establishing a scientificallybased response strategy of agro-systems to ensure sustainable production under future expected climateconditions. South African wine grape producers would probably have to cultivate their grapevines underhigher atmospheric CO2 levels and in warmer, mostly drier, conditions. Due to the projected increase inclimatic variability, an effort must be made to improve the resilience of vines against these environmentalconditions. Whole-vine functioning and balances should be considered when adjustments are madeto current long and short term cultivation practices. All practices should be aimed at promoting thedevelopment of a deep, dense and buffered root system that is able to support a well-developed canopywith optimal microclimate that would sustain a high yield of good quality. Mitigation and adaptationstrategies would most likely have to be region specific, and small scale terroir data, (which should includeboth climate and terrain/soil information) may play a critical role in decision-making.

Measuring Consumers’ Perceived Risk on Varietal Level: A Mixed Methods Approach Applied to Wine

Perceived risk (PR) is a product-specific factor in consumer decision-making. With different varietals, the complex wine category causes significant consumer uncertainty. However, research on consumers’ varietal-specific PR is scant. The study followed a novel exploratory sequential mixed methods approach to investigate consumers’ PR of South African Chenin blanc wine. Qualitative interviews enhanced the content validity of two PR scales used in a sequential quantitative online survey. Confirmatory factor analysis with structural equation modeling (SEM) tested construct validity (n = 1669), and ANOVA identified Chenin blanc perceived risks. Outcomes suggest that strategies should aim to reduce consumers’ perceived functional, time and financial risks of Chenin blanc wine. This study’s findings illustrate the importance of a qualitative phase in PR research, previously a quantitative-dominant domain. Existing PR scales cannot be blindly adopted to investigate varietal-specific risk. The methodology paves the way for future varietal-specific PR studies and contributes to food and agricultural marketing literature.

Covid-19 and the South African wine industry

ABSTRACT South Africa has faced multiple waves of COVID-19 infections since March 2020 with various levels of economic restrictions imposed to control the pandemic’s spread. Such actions included intermittent bans on alcoholic beverage sales, which have had a substantial impact on the wine sector. This purpose of this paper is to quantify this impact, using a partial equilibrium simulation model to separate the direct impact of sales restrictions from the indirect impact of collapsed GDP growth and consequently also consumer spending. In 2020 alone, it points to a reduction in domestic sales and in exports as a result of the pandemic and the efforts to control its spread. The subsequent stock build up induces a prolonged period of weaker prices, and combined with additional actions imposed up to the end of July 2021, cost actors in the industry R3.6 billion in primary gross production value from 2020 to 2027, even without accounting for further value addition between bulk sale and retail value.

Exploring sustainability potentials in vineyards through LCA? Evidence from farming practices in South Africa

PurposeFollowing the urgency to curb environmental impacts across all sectors globally, this is the first life cycle assessment of different wine grape farming practices suitable for commercial conventional production in South Africa, aiming at better understanding the potentials to reduce adverse effects on the environment and on human health.MethodsAn attributional life cycle assessment was conducted on eight different scenarios that reduce the inputs of herbicides and insecticides compared against a business as usual (BAU) scenario. We assess several impact categories based on ReCiPe, namely global warming potential, terrestrial acidification, freshwater eutrophication, terrestrial toxicity, freshwater toxicity, marine toxicity, human carcinogenic toxicity and human non-carcinogenic toxicity, human health and ecosystems. A water footprint assessment based on the AWARE method accounts for potential impacts within the watershed.Results and discussionResults show that in our impact assessment, more sustainable farming practices do not always outperform the BAU scenario, which relies on synthetic fertiliser and agrochemicals. As a main trend, most of the impact categories were dominated by energy requirements of wine grape production in an irrigated vineyard, namely the usage of electricity for irrigation pumps and diesel for agricultural machinery. The most favourable scenario across the impact categories provided a low diesel usage, strongly reduced herbicides and the absence of insecticides as it applied cover crops and an integrated pest management. Pesticides and heavy metals contained in agrochemicals are the main contributors to emissions to soil that affected the toxicity categories and impose a risk on human health, which is particularly relevant for the manual labour-intensive South African wine sector. However, we suggest that impacts of agrochemicals on human health and the environment are undervalued in the assessment. The 70% reduction of toxic agrochemicals such as Glyphosate and Paraquat and the 100% reduction of Chlorpyriphos in vineyards hardly affected the model results for human and ecotoxicity. Our concerns are magnified by the fact that manual labour plays a substantial role in South African vineyards, increasing the exposure of humans to these toxic chemicals at their workplace.ConclusionsA more sustainable wine grape production is possible when shifting to integrated grape production practices that reduce the inputs of agrochemicals. Further, improved water and related electricity management through drip irrigation, deficit irrigation and photovoltaic-powered irrigation is recommendable, relieving stress on local water bodies, enhancing drought-preparedness planning and curbing CO2 emissions embodied in products.

Premium price for natural preservatives in wine: a discrete choice experiment

The South African wine industry has recently launched the world’s first ‘no sulphite added’ wine made from indigenous Rooibos & Honeybush toasted wood chips. This wood chip contains antioxidant properties known to protect wine from oxidation. On the other hand, SO2 as a preservative, is often perceived by wine consumers as causing headaches and migraines. Differentiated wines based on their SO2 content may be a profitable marketing avenue for the struggling industry. We interviewed more than 600 wine consumers to investigate their perceptions of wine preservatives and preference for several wine attributes. Specifically, we use discrete choice experiments to elicit willingness to pay for the innovative alternative based on Rooibos & Honeybush wood chips. In addition to wine preservatives, we also examine consumers’ preferences for organic wine attributes and wine quality measured by a 100-point quality score and cost. Based on the results from the mixed logit model, we find that consumers are willing to pay an additional €3.53 (R56.48) per bottle of wine with natural Rooibos & Honeybush wood chips, while they are ready to pay €1.22 (R19.52) more for organic wine and €0.10 (R1.60) for each point on the quality score. Consumer preferences are not statistically different between red and white wine but differ considerably across consumers. In particular, those who believe SO2 in wine causes headaches are willing to pay at least three times more for replacing sulphur-based preservatives with a natural one. Marketing implications are offered for the wine industry.

Selection of Grass and Broadleaf Crops as Catch Crops where Winery Wastewater is Used for Irrigation: A Review

Winery wastewater contains high levels of elements such as sodium, phosphorus, potassium, as well aschemical oxygen demand, sodium adsorption ratio and pH. This may raise concerns regarding the pollutionof the surrounding environment. Environmentally friendly methods such as recycling, i.e. treatment andre-use, where treated or partially treated and diluted wastewater is used for irrigation of agricultural crops,are essential. Irrigation with winery wastewater, which is rich in nutrients, can be beneficial to overall soilfertility as an alternative to conventional fertilizers. However, long-term applications of wastewater mayhave a negative effect on soil physicochemical properties. A selection of crops with nutrient interceptionabilities, preferably for salts, may be ideal for the removal of excess elements from the soil whilst reducingleaching and excess run off. The use of perennial grasses, annual winter growing grains and winter growingbroadleaf nitrogen-fixing annuals as winter cover crops in the South African wine industry has beenextensively documented but their use as summer catch crops intercepting elements applied via wastewaterirrigation has not yet been well researched.