Wine World Research Articles

ANALYSIS OF MULTILINGUAL LABELED SORTING TASKS: APPLICATION TO A CROSS‐CULTURAL STUDY IN WINE INDUSTRY

ABSTRACTVerbalization can be used as a complement in a sorting task (also known as categorization). Assessors are required to describe each item or group of items using their own words; thus, a “labeled” categorization is performed. In cross‐cultural studies, several panels may use different languages. We propose to extend hierarchical multiple factor analysis (HMFA) to compare panels from, simultaneously, both categorization and verbalization tasks, even when the latter is performed in several languages. We present this methodology through a study where both a Catalan and French panels performed a labeled categorization on a set of eight Catalan wines. Either Catalan or French is used by the panelists. HMFA allows for comparing the two panels not only globally but also from either the categorization or the verbalization tasks. Although results show a noticeable similarity between both configurations of wines as defined by the panels, textual data highlight interesting differences or viewpoints between Catalan and French.PRACTICAL APPLICATIONSCross‐cultural studies are increasing in sensory studies, frequently including verbalization that can be performed in different languages. We propose a methodology to tackle the data issued from this kind of studies, including categorical and multilingual textual data. Our application concerns two panels, Catalan and French, who have performed a labeled sorting task, although more panels could be considered. The application shows that textual data nuance the similarities put to the fore between both configurations of wines as defined by the panels. Furthermore, this application uncovers that important concepts in the wine world are not always shared by panels issued from different backgrounds. No translation is required before the treatment.

Divergent Pasts, Parallel Futures? Between Competition and Co‐operation in the Argentinian, Chilean and New Zealand Wine Sectors

The world of wine is frequently cast in terms of a distinction between the Old World (the producers of Europe) and the New World (those in USA, Australasia, South America and South Africa). Although this is somewhat of a false dichotomy, it does suggest that New World wine is qualitatively different from the Old; it is less constrained by tradition and regulation and it is characterized by modern methods of production. Furthermore, New World producers - many situated on the periphery of the global economy - compete with one another on export markets, differentiating their products on the basis of price and style. In this context, New Zealand wine producers face stiff competition from Chile and Argentina, as they do for a range of commodities that they produce in common, such as fruit and forestry products.

De la Géographique à travers un manga «viticole » : l'exemple des Gouttes de Dieu (Geographic readings of a wine manga : Les Gouttes de Dieu)

Geographers take an interest in space, whether real or imaginary. They have different methodologies. For this paper, it consists in the construction of spaces through the creative writing of a manga. This one, Les Gouttes de Dieu, is a success in France because this manga articulates major characters in the world of wine. That's why geographers may be interested in this opus. This paper suggests a spatial look towards this «comic book ». Heroes ' action makes territories of wine in the Japanese megalopolis. Les Gouttes de Dieu acts as an intermediary for geographical reading to understand what is real or not. This paper discusses major topics in geography and more broadly speaking in social sciences, such as terroir or proximity, and proposoes a look at action and actor systems.

Improving Experts' Wine Quality Judgments: Two Heads Are Better than One

AbstractThis paper reports an analysis of data from the “Judgment of Paris,” the 1976 blind tasting of California and French wines that revolutionized the wine world. Using both empirical and analytical methods, I demonstrate that the wine quality judgments of the renowned experts who participated in the Paris tasting would have been improved simply by averaging the quality ratings of two or more of the judges. Moreover, I explore both how many of the Paris judges should be included in the average and which ones they should be. The results have implications for the practical issue of choosing judges to include in tasting panels that award prizes or provide expert advice to consumers, as well as for better understanding the variability in the price-quality association across hedonic wine pricing studies. (JEL Classification: C93)

Benchmarking of the Viticultural and Wine-Making Indicators Applied to Vineyards Situated on the 45° Parallel

Between people and vines are strong links, speaking here about the work of many generations of wine-grower and wine-makers. People have a great respect, which is the result of how the vines answer to the care what is wearing and not deny it. Oenology is the science of wine production. Wine lovers in respect of knowledge, are the liquor’s friends, which they strongly respect. In the world of wines, the human being is also, author and spectator. Bacchus’ liquor is the creation of humanity. People need to approach of the spectacular and miracle universe of the wine with confidence and respect that they deserve these beverages. Another component of the wine is not totally clear. As the technique improves the research could be surprises on the benefits of wine on the human body. In this paper one start over from a simple idea, those to compare, beginning with the quality of soil, weather conditions, continuing with the science and involvement in the process of wine-making, some four vineyards from three different countries, all situated on the 45° parallel. The results are clear, meaning, in the same conditions, can obtain high quality wines all over the world, but the wines are, still, different to the connoisseur who make, very well, distinction regarding the wines’ bouquet, flavor, or aroma.

Au Revoir to All That: Food, Wine, and the End of France

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article This article has been corrected | View Correction Book ForumFull AccessAu Revoir to All That: Food, Wine, and the End of FranceJOHN A. TALBOTT M.D.,JOHN A. TALBOTT M.D.Search for more papers by this author,Published Online:1 Dec 2009https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2009.09091363AboutSectionsPDF/EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail The blogosphere has been buzzing with news of the demise of French cuisine for some years, so it is no surprise that we now have a traditional publication discussing the issue. The whole tumult started, I believe, with the famous “Judgment of Paris” tasting on May 24, 1976, organized by Steven Spurrier—the English wine merchant, not the 49ers quarterback—that revealed that head-to-head blind tasting of “new world” versus French wines came out in favor of California. The scene was wonderfully recreated in the film, Bottle Shock . Since 2002, the British magazine Restaurant has compiled a “best 50” list, and the dominance of the French Laundry, Fat Duck, and El Bulli over Ducasse, Robuchon, and Savoy has caused no mean consternation among the chattering chef classes in France. But it was probably the New York Times Magazine article by Arthur Lubow in 2003 (1) that nailed the coffin shut, by asserting: “You can still eat very well in France, as you did 20 years ago. The problem is that almost everywhere you eat in France, it could still be 20 years ago. Nothing has changed.” How could this have happened to what was arguably, along with Chinese cooking, the premier cuisine in the world? The history is well known. Auguste Escoffier, whose classic book Le Guide Culinaire(2) most of us still possess and consult in its original form and English translation, told us how to do it. And we pretty much stuck to it for most of the last century. Nouvelle cuisine might have been a mere blip on the screen had Henri Gault and Christian Millau not published the upstart challenger to the stodgy Michelin Red Guide in 1965 that heralded the work of chefs such as Paul Bocuse, Alain Chapel, the Troisgros, Michel Guérard, Roger Vergé, and Raymond Oliver. And then the “new” cuisine became absorbed into the mainstream variety, and after a brief flirtation with cuisine minceur, Michel Guérard’s spin on it, things went back to normal. In the 1960s and 1970s there were fads of innovation: the reinvention of millefeuilles, purées, “exotic” fruits, and interesting sauces. But a good magret de canard stayed pretty much the same. In addition, in the 1980s and 1990s, when the movements such as “slow food” and “eat produce coming from 50, 100, or 150 miles” were sweeping Italy, the United States, and even the United Kingdom, French chefs looked askance, saying that they were already doing that. In fairness to French chefs, many did innovate and look to other countries and cuisines. It is said (in both Burgundy Stars[3] and The Perfectionist[4] ) that Bernard Loiseau killed himself in part because of his inner pressure to innovate (of course it helped that he had a biological depression for which he was being treated). And a group of French chefs, including David Zuddas (Auberge de la Charme) and Gilles Choukroun (MBC), in 2005, went to Japan seeking inspiration, as had William Ledeuil, whose cooking and staff at Ze Kitchen Galerie shows it rubbed off to this day. Which brings us to the book at hand with its naughty and intriguing title. A good Parisian friend who writes for a most prestigious culinary magazine, eats French food almost every day of the year and loves most of it, but still says that “French chefs need a kick in the shins.” And Michael Steinberger is here to give it. He’s best known as a wine writer and contributor to Slate , although he previously wrote for Saveur, Food and Wine, The World of Fine Wine, Sommelier and Wine Spectator (the latter of which he left under a cloud). Despite the book’s title, Steinberger describes himself as an “unabashed and steadfast Francophile,” and this book reports on his extraordinary modern culinary journey. Who is this book for? One might think just specialists in the history of French cuisine, but just as every American thinks he knows more than a psychiatrist, every psychiatrist thinks he’s an expert on French food and restaurants. Bon Appetit!Baltimore, Md.The author reports no financial relationships with commercial interests.Book review accepted for publication October 2009 (doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2009.09091363).

A New Twist on Tradition: Selling the Experience to U.S. Wine Consumers

ABSTRACT The design of the wine package is considered by most consumers to be a direct reflection of the quality of the wine. The emergence of alternative wine closures has grown mainly in response to quality control efforts by winemakers to protect against cork failure. However, with the introduction of screw cap closures nearly 40 years ago, the wine world has experienced an upheaval in what is the appropriate style of closure to use. Telephone interviews assessing attitudes to alternative closures amongst winemakers and sommeliers were conducted. The results indicated that many winemakers are not yet comfortable with screw caps and sommeliers are reluctant to create a disturbance that consumers might not completely understand.

Wine business practices: A new versus old wine world perspective

AbstractThis research investigates and compares some of the strategic choices made by small wine firms from two different New World wine producing countries, Australia and New Zealand, and one traditional wine producing region of France. This research was first conducted in 2003 in France with 98 wine firms being interviewed and then in Australia and New Zealand, with a total of 68 wine firms interviewed in 2004. In order to explain the differences in business practices, an effort to match wine sector perspectives and strategic management profiles is presented through a hierarchical cluster analysis. Some complementary explanations for the clusters found can be suggested: business practices are clearly dependent upon the business activity (bottled wine versus bulk wine), and the main goal of the owner‐manager (improving business economic performance versus increasing market share). [EconLit classification: L190, L210]. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Agribusiness 22: 405–416, 2006.

The genetic improvement of grapevine cultivars and wine yeast strains: Novel approaches to the ancient art of winemaking

The widening gap between wine production and wine consumption, the shift of consumer preferences away from basic commodity wine to top quality wine, and the gruelling competition brought about by economic globalisation call for a total revolution in the magical world of wine. In the process of transforming the wine industry from a production-driven industry to a market-orientated enterprise, there is an increasing dependence on, amongst others, biotechnological innovation to launch the wine industry with a quantum leap across the formidable market challenges of the 21st century. Market-orientated designer grape cultivars and wine yeast strains are currently being genetically programmed with surgical precision for the cost-competitive production of high quality grapes and wine with relatively minimal resource inputs and a low environmental impact. With regard to Grapevine Biotechnology, this entails the establishment of stress tolerant and disease resistant varieties of Vitis vinifera with increased productivity, efficiency, sustainability and environmental friendliness, especially regarding improved pest and disease control, water use efficiency and grape quality. With regard to Wine Yeast Biotechnology, the emphasis is on the development of Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains with improved fermentation, processing and biopreservation abilities, and capacities for an increase in the wholesomeness and sensory quality of wine. The successful commercialisation of transgenic grape cultivars and wine yeasts depends on a number of scientific, technical, safety, ethical, legal, economic and marketing factors, and it therefore will be unwise to entertain high expectations in the short term. However, in the light of the phenomenal potential advantages of tailor-made grape varieties and yeast strains, it would be equally self-destructive in the long term if this strategically important “life insurance policy” is not taken out by the wine industry. This overview highlights the most important examples of the way in which V. vinifera grape varieties and S. cerevisiae wine yeast strains are currently being designed with surgical precision on the basis of market demand for the cost-effective, sustainable and environmentally friendly production of healthy, top quality grapes and wine.

Determination of 2,4,6-trichloroanisole in wines by headspace solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-electron-capture detection.

One of the most important problems in the wine world, today, is cork taint, which often has been chemically identified as 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA). The perception limit of this compound is very low (close to 10 and 40 ng/l for white and red wines, respectively), so, even at such low concentrations, its presence becomes a problem in wine quality. A method for the analysis of TCA in white and red wines has been developed in our laboratory, using headspace solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography with electron-capture detection. The method, which has been optimized using an experimental design, involves the use of fibres coated with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and allows the analysis of TCA at very low concentrations (under 500 ng/l) with good accuracy (RSD < or = 10%). The limits of quantification of the method are 5 and 8 ng/l for white and red wines, respectively, while the limit of detection is 1 ng/l for both types of wine.

Wine as smooth as silk?

The world of wine seems set to be the next beneficiary of the attention of plant genetic engineers. Pierce's disease is a bacterial infection of grapevines that affects the xylem and ultimately kills the plant. To date, the infected vines cannot be treated and there are no resistant varieties. US scientists have solved this problem by engineering the silkworm cecropin gene into grape plants. Cecropin sticks to and punctures the bacterial membrane, killing the bacteria. However, whether the wine industry – or its customers – will find this solution easy to swallow remains to be seen. [Samuel, E. (2001) New Sci., 26 May, p. 6] NC

French Wine Brotherhoods and Wine Tourism: A Complex Relationship

France has one of the oldest traditions of wine making in the world and the development of this industry has also led to the elaboration of various tourism developments, such as wine trails and wine cellars/visitor centres. In addition, wine makers have recognized that in order to sell their production effectively, they needed to group themselves in associations to contribute, together, to the promotion of their wines on a regional, national and international basis. This impetus has witnessed the blossoming of various brotherhoods which, despite their casual image of good eaters and good drinkers, are well structured and powerful bodies in promoting French wines. Their prime role as wine promoters and ambassadors to their regions implies that they have opened up to the professional wine world. However, their contribution to the development of wine tourism is not yet fully utilized. The paper reviews the evolution of wine brotherhoods and structures and then addresses their links with tourism through their participation in events and their association with historic monuments. The paper concludes with a series of recommendations detailing the extent to which wine brotherhoods could further contribute to the development of French wine tourism.

Oenographile and the Layman

The study of wine labels can be a non vinous entry to the wine world. There was self labelling of vats before 3000BC — followed by that of smaller vessels, and later, corks. Paper labels were used in the nineteenth century, and became compulsory in the twentieth. To assess a wine, the grape variety, the soil of the area indicated, and the climate, will form the platform upon which to impose the effect of the complicated regulations appearing on the front label. It may be necessary to discount near deception, or over advertisement. The basic wine laws of two countries are highlighted in order to appraise three illustrated labels. Concluding are brief indicative notes of some other countries.

Thomas Jefferson : chef d'État, vigneron, œnophile

Beatrice Fink : Thomas Jefferson : Statesman, winegrower, lover of wines. Jefferson is America's first, and arguably greatest, patron of wine and winegrowing. This article, after a brief survey of earlier winegrowing in America, traces the hows, whens and whys of the third American President's involvement in the world of wine, thereby enhancing the "Sage of Monticello" behind the Founding Father. Apart from a love of the land and its cultivation, reinforced by a fascination with the natural sciences, Jefferson's commitment to his vineyards and the universe of wine represents a conflation (which is not without its inconsistencies) of a visionary physiocratic dream energized by patriotic zeal, a pragmatic clinical attitude towards the tangible realities of soil, weather, economics, etc., and the subtle tastes of wine. A three-stage itinerary — initiation, assimilation (comprising the crucial 1784-89 stay in France) and consolidation — is fired throughout by his belief in wine drinking as a means of controlling alcoholism in which wine replaced "ardent spirits". Jefferson's dream was not to materialize during his lifetime, but he himself foresaw a rosier future.

Team teaching an introductory wine course at the college level

This paper presents an interdisciplinary course on the world of wine, winemaking, and viticulture that has been used as an opportunity to exploit the expertise of professors of chemistry, biology, ...

La viticulture dans le Midi pyrénéen

Quality vine production in the Midi pyrénéen. The vine-wine sector in the Midi pyrénéen is little known. The vines are of a regional richness that has long been underestimated. The thinly scattered and disparate wine growing districts form a mosaic. Despite its abandonment by regional politics, wine production is important Further more, over the last thirty years, there has been real growth in the quality vine production sector. Socio economic forces are still unstable. The preponderance of the cooperatives is thraetened. There has been a recent development of indépendant wine producers. Trade is poor. The very divided world of vine and wine is subject to active strains. A regional level collective project woud seem indispensable to set up a policy promoting regional wines.