Zealand Wine Research Articles

Identification of the best viticultural areas by spatial optimisation. Application in New Zealand South Island in the context of climate change

The global winegrowing sector is under pressure due to the effects of global climate change. This is particularly true for New Zealand, where the wine industry is limited to a few regions. This study focuses on the South Island of New Zealand. It uses the Multi-objective Optimisation for Agrosystems (MOA) model to (i) investigate how potential exposure to climate risks and phenological stages will evolve under climate change, (ii) assess the suitability of current vineyards for viticulture in the future, and (iii) investigate potential emerging areas favourable for viticulture.The results show that a significant shift in the phenological stages of veraison and ripeness can be expected in the future due to the warming of the South Island of New Zealand. The projected phenological stages advancement is around one week in the near term for both Shared-Socioeconomic Pathways studied (SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5) and is more than three weeks and one month in long-term for SSP2–4.5 and SSP5-8.5 respectively. A regional to local increase in frost risk (Canterbury, Otago, and Southland) and a slight increase in disease risk (especially on the coast) are also projected in the future, while the South Island of New Zealand is not expected to be affected by heatwaves. The results show that Marlborough, New Zealand's most important winegrowing region, will continue to be one of the best areas for viticulture in the 21st century. On the other hand, new winegrowing opportunities are expected to emerge inland and southwards.Overall, this study contributes to the understanding of the impact of climate change on the New Zealand wine industry and emphasises the need to adapt to changing climate conditions. It also provides insights into the future suitability of vineyards and identifies potential expansion areas for the New Zealand viticulture sector.

Design code review on seismic demand and base detailing criteria: an application to wine tanks in Marlborough

Marlborough is the largest wine-growing region in New Zealand. The seismic events of Lake Grassmere 2013 and Kaikōura 2016 caused severe business disruption to the wineries due to the poor performance of wine storage tanks and connected non-structural components. The damage recorded raised two main discussions concerning the NZSEE 2009 guidelines for seismic design of liquid storage tanks. The first is related to the appropriateness of the determination of the importance level to adopt for the design of tanks. In fact, importance level 1 (IL1) (structures presenting a low degree of hazard to life and other property) was adopted for most wine tanks, and therefore, the horizontal forces designed were extremely low. Adopting importance level 2 (IL2) (normal structures) would have increased the overall seismic demand to design them for and therefore limited their structural damage but potentially increased the structural cost. The second concerns the design detailing of the critical connections. In fact, the current guidelines/standards lack provisions. The authors compare the NZSEE 2009 guideline with Eurocode 8 (EC8) and API 650 through the design of six tanks with typical dimensions used in the New Zealand wine industry. Results show that assigning importance level 1 results in seismic design demand similar to EC8 and API 650, thereby showing that other countries have a similar approach to New Zealand. A further comparative analysis also highlighted that connection detailing design including the hierarchy of strength is totally missing in all three standards/guidelines, which lacks information.

Synthesis of a novel isotopically labelled standard for quantification of γ-nonalactone in New Zealand Pinot noir via SIDA-SPE-GC–MS

γ-Nonalactone is a linear aliphatic lactone ubiquitous in wine, associated with coconut, sweet, and stone fruit aroma descriptors. Little research has been conducted looking at the importance of this compound to New Zealand (NZ) wine aroma. 2H213C2-γ-Nonalactone, a novel isotopologue of γ-nonalactone, was synthesised in this work for use in a stable isotope dilution assay (SIDA) for quantification of γ-nonalactone in NZ Pinot noir wines for the first time. Synthesis was carried out using heptaldehyde as the starting material, and 13C atoms and 2H atoms were introduced via Wittig olefination and deuterogenation steps, respectively. The suitability of this compound as an internal standard was demonstrated by spiking model wine at normal and elevated conditions during sample preparation, with subsequent analysis via mass spectrometry showing stability of 2H213C2-γ-nonalactone. A model wine calibration, with concentrations of γ-nonalactone from 0 to 100 µg L−1, was shown to have excellent linearity (R2 > 0.99), reproducibility (0.72%), and repeatability (0.38%). Twelve NZ Pinot noir wines, representative of a range of NZ Pinot noir–producing regions, prices, and vintages, were analysed by solid-phase extraction–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (SPE-GC–MS). The concentrations of γ-nonalactone ranged from 8.3 to 22.5 µg L−1, the latter of which was close to the odour detection threshold of this compound. These findings provide a basis for further research into γ-nonalactone and its impact on NZ Pinot noir aroma and provide a robust method for the quantification of this compound in Pinot noir.Graphical abstract

New evidence on using expert ratings to proxy for wine quality in climate change research

ABSTRACT This paper provides new evidence on the validity of using expert ratings of wine as a measure of wine quality for predicting the effects of climate change on the wine industry. We used Bob Campbell’s ratings of New Zealand wines to look for a relationship between the ratings and climatic variables that predicts a plausible optimal growing-season temperature for the main wine varieties and wine regions in New Zealand. Such a relationship can be used to forecast the effects of climate change on wine quality to better understand when wineries need to adapt to a warming climate. We used both individual wine ratings and overall vintage ratings, averaged by region and variety from the individual ratings, to compare in a controlled setting their success in predicting plausible optimal temperatures. We find that using the vintage ratings produces substantially more precise and plausible findings than using the individual ratings. We conclude that there is great potential in using vintage data constructed from expert ratings for individual wines for climate change research.

Does industry experience positively moderate the quadratic relationship between coopetition and financial performance Evidence from the New Zealand wine sector

Does industry experience positively moderate the quadratic relationship between coopetition and financial performance Evidence from the New Zealand wine sector

Characterization of Bioactive Compounds in Lees from New Zealand Wines with Different Vinification Backgrounds.

Wine lees are one of the main by-products produced during winemaking. Little is known about the effect of the vinification technique on the phenolic compounds and the biological activity of wine lees extracts. Wine lees collected at varying vinification sources of two grape varieties, Riesling (RL) and Pinot Noir (PN), were analyzed for total phenolic content (TPC), tannin content (TTC), their anthocyanin and phenolic profile, and the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of their extracts. The results showed a low TPC and TTC in RL lees, which could be attributed to the varietal characteristic of RL grapes and to less skin contact during vinification. Vinification techniques modified the composition of the phenolic compounds in the lees. The results showed a good linear relationship between the antioxidant activities and the TPC and TTC, indicating that PN lees were better sources of phenolics and antioxidant activity than RL lees. The antimicrobial activity of wine lees was related to the phenolic composition rather than the quantity of total phenolics. Knowing the grape and wine processing conditions can provide some insights into the potential composition of wine lees and, hence, determine the potential economic use of the by-product.

Determining acceptance and rejection of nano-enabled agriculture: A case study of the New Zealand wine industry

This paper gathers gatekeeper views and perceptions on nano-enabled viticulture in Aotearoa New Zealand. While the science of nanotechnology is indicated to offer improvements to conventional vineyard inputs and operations, its acceptability by potential users and consumers has an impact on the governance of nano-enabled agriculture. This governance takes place not just at the state level through regulation and policy, but also through corporate, and community sectors' use of branding and narratives about nanotechnology and nano-based agrichemicals, and the (non)consumption of nano-enabled products. This paper investigates the technical and market acceptability, or governance, of nanotechnology by elucidating the attitudes of industry gatekeepers towards wines grown with nanotechnology. This necessarily informs the ‘market permissibility’ of such technologies, and illuminates sensitivities, concerns, and consumer-based barriers to adoption. We conducted 15 semi-structured, key informant interviews and a thematic data analysis. Our results suggest a high level of technical acceptability, particularly if environmental sustainability benefits are made clear. Wine producers are interested in nano-solutions to labour, pest and disease, and cost of production issues. However, key actors in the production-consumption network of New Zealand wine have concerns about nano-enabled approaches. Regulatory approval and safety assurances are expected prior to adoption in food or wine. Respondents argue that consumer acceptability is less clear, and that thought leaders like wine writers, intermediaries and ‘influencers’ will be critical in shaping public opinion. This research highlights the potential risks of nanotechnology development and adoption.

Support for local wines in The Netherlands: opportunities for the hospitality industry

ABSTRACT This article reports on a research project to measure the current intrinsic competitive value of Dutch wine in comparison to wines from renowned wine countries based on a taste and olfactory evaluation, and to explore the sustainable benefits that local Dutch wine can offer and wines made from fungus-resistant grape varieties (FRG). Both factors aim to measure the unique selling point of Dutch wine and explore if adoption in The Netherlands can be strengthened in the future. A blind tasting experiment with four different tasting groups (n = 54) was conducted. Participants evaluated (blind) two Dutch wines (white and red), a New Zealand wine (white) and a Bordeaux blend (red), which were matched according to their flavour components and popularity in The Netherlands. The outcome of this research shows no significant difference in overall scores between groups when comparing Dutch wine to wines from renowned wine-producing countries when tasted blind. However, the Dutch white wine was significantly more likely to be purchased according to participants. Results show that the competitiveness of Dutch wine in comparison to other renowned wine regions is evident. Dutch wine has increased in quality over the last years, therefore it is more likely to be purchased now. This offers opportunities in marketing and sales to increase efforts towards a more sustainable food and beverage programme among restaurateurs in The Netherlands.

Commentary – Look east young sojourner!

With developments like China's Belt and Road and Maritime Silk Road initiatives, the nation is flexing its economic and political muscle and demonstrating its vision for the 21st century and beyond. In a study of grape-based wine consumption in southern China and Hong Kong, we found that people would typically drink wine with a Western meal, but not a Chinese meal (Groves and Belk, 1998). The paper, in the context of the New Zealand wine industry, is about competition versus cooperation. In the case of Crick and Crick's study of the New Zealand wine growers, the hypothesis supported that there was an inverted U-shape between amount of cooperation and performance, attenuated to some degree by intensity

Family logics and environmental sustainability: A study of the New Zealand wine industry

AbstractThe majority of small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) in the wine industry are family owned and operated providing a unique organisational structure to study environmental sustainability engagement. However, researchers at the intersection of environmental sustainability (ES) and family businesses tend to oversimplify family businesses as homogeneous regarding ES. Therefore, the broader goal of this paper is to investigate the antecedents of heterogeneities among family firms related to ES. The paper aims to understand how family firms portray different aspects of family influence (family goals, family values, culture and ethics, and the imprints of the founders and the next generation) in their ES disclosures. Family logics are used as a theoretical lens to analyse family influence. A qualitative content analysis of 72 corporate websites of family firms operating in the New Zealand wine industry was conducted. Antecedents of heterogeneities were revealed with a discussion of three typologies of family firms: family first, business first and upstarts.

Aroma and Sensory Profiles of Sauvignon Blanc Wines from Commercially Produced Free Run and Pressed Juices

Sauvignon blanc is the most important grape cultivar within the New Zealand wine industry, and wines from the Marlborough region are renowned for their intense aromas including tropical, passionfruit, and green capsicum. Quality Sauvignon blanc wines are usually made from free run juice, although press fractions can be included. The chemical aroma composition and sensory profiles of two wine sets made from three press fractions (free run, light press and heavy press) were compared. The compounds 3-mercaptohexan-1-ol and 3-mercaptohexyl acetate were found to decrease between free run and heavily pressed wines while hexyl acetate, hexanol, and benzyl alcohol increased. The accompanying sensory analysis showed that free run wines were marked by aromas of Passionfruit/sweaty, Boxwood and Fresh green capsicum, while the heavy pressed wines were described by French vanilla/bourbon, Floral and Banana lolly attributes, consistent with the aroma chemical composition.

The dark-side of coopetition: Influences on the paradoxical forces of cooperativeness and competitiveness across product-market strategies

Although it has been widely established that coopetition (simultaneous cooperation and competition) has a positive association with firms’ performance, researchers have largely overlooked the environmental and firm-level forces potentially affecting that relationship. Under resource-based theory and the relational view, this current study evaluates whether competitive intensity and competitive aggressiveness negatively moderate the coopetition-financial performance relationship. Through a mixed methods approach featuring New Zealand wine producers, a positive relationship existed between coopetition and financial performance supporting earlier research. However, competitive aggressiveness provided a negative moderation effect and competitive intensity had a positive moderation effect. Unique insights emerge regarding underlying issues (potential dark-sides) behind the coopetition-financial performance relationship. Competitive intensity provides an opportunity for owner-managers to select trustworthy rivals targeting complementary product-markets. However, if decision-makers cannot effectively manage competitive aggressiveness across product-market strategies, they are likely to experience certain harmful outcomes, like tensions and diluted competitive advantages.

Damage to legged wine storage tanks during the 2013 and 2016 New Zealand earthquakes

The New Zealand wine industry has experienced several strong earthquakes over the last decade. The research presented herein documents the damage data to legged wine storage tanks following the Seddon earthquake (New Zealand, Mw 6.5) on 21 July 2013 and Lake Grassmere earthquake (New Zealand, Mw 6.6) on 26 August 2013, and the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake (New Zealand, Mw 7.8). The data covers the damage assessment results of 1512 legged wine storage tanks from the 2013 earthquakes and of 599 legged wine storage tanks from the 2016 earthquake. Several parameters were investigated, including tank capacity, liquid level at the time of the earthquakes, and damage to different elements of legged wine tanks. Frame/leg parts of the legged wine tanks sustained the greatest damage, with 40% of legged tanks sustaining frame/leg damage in the 2013 earthquakes and 44% of legged tanks sustaining frame/leg damage in the 2016 earthquake. Based on the results, liquid level and tank capacity were identified as parameters that most greatly influenced the seismic performance of legged wine tanks.

Disintermediation: the optimal distribution strategy for small wineries

This study examines the utilisation of the disintermediation strategy by a family owned New Zealand wine business. A longitudinal case study approach was used to gather qualitative data about their distribution strategy. The key finding is that this business originally earnt 95% of total revenue through selling directly to end consumers by disintermediating their supply chain. Today, that figure has reduced to 80% of total revenue and the distribution strategy now includes some indirect retail and restaurant channels. This change in distribution strategy over time has been driven primarily by consumer demand. Whilst the disintermediation strategy initially allowed the business to maximise profits, gain distribution efficiencies, and enhance customer relationships, it did not fully meet the needs of all consumers. We discuss the rationale of the various direct and intermediated channels utilised by this business and suggest that these will be useful for other small wine businesses that want to achieve similar benefits through a combination of channel strategies.

Competitor orientation and value co-creation in sustaining rural New Zealand wine producers

This study, underpinned by the Resource-Based View and its association with the Relational View, contributes to the existing cross-disciplinary literature involving economic geography, tourism and marketing by extending the current understanding of the relationship between firms' value co-creation activities and sales performance in the context of rural wine producing firms. Specifically, by investigating how a firm's competitor orientation (possessing and acting upon knowledge of competitors) affects the relationship between firms' capabilities to engage in value co-creation activities and sales performance. This investigation utilises a multi-level qualitative investigation within small-to-medium-sized, New Zealand wine producers engaging in various value co-creation activities (wine hospitality and tourism such as accommodation and restaurants through to wine sales, including at cellar doors). The methods employed involved 40 interviews across 20 businesses; observations of cellar door employees in all 20 firms; and collection of archival data. The findings reveal that by having a high degree of a competitor orientation, the enhanced value co-creation activities can help individual companies improve sales performance and support cluster sustainability, including via repeat tourism. However, results vary among competing businesses based on the product-markets served, where illustrations of potential tensions highlight the need for the management of complementary relationships, within and across clusters (the latter typically being to serve overseas markets). This study consequently offers new unique insights that explain strategies affecting not just an individual firm's performance, but also, the sustainability of other businesses.

Cloud-Based Computing: Providing an Advantage to a Small New Zealand Wine Business

Oliver and Charlotte Martin (names disguised at their request) were both employed full time and leading very busy lives when they purchased their small, wine-celebration business located in New Zealand. The Martins desired to play pivotal managerial roles in their new wine business while remaining in their current jobs, but soon realized that they had become over-committed and needed to outsource the accounting of their wine business to a seasoned professional. The Martins wondered whether investing in new information technology, specifically cloud-based accounting and customer relationship management (CRM) solutions, could help them become more efficient and effective as their winery operations grew. This case examines the risks and rewards of implementing cloud-based software programs. It also illustrates the linkages between the fields of marketing and management accounting, as the software programs highlighted in the case study have the ability to be integrated with each other.

The facets, antecedents and consequences of coopetition

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore the facets, antecedents and consequences of coopetition using three dimensions of entrepreneurial marketing. Coopetition is the interplay between competition and cooperation in which companies seek to collaborate with their rivals with the aim of enhancing performance compared to if they operated independently.Design/methodology/approachThis paper reports on 38 interviews across 25 firms competing in the New Zealand wine industry. Triangulation procedures were via primary and secondary methods. This data was analysed through a series of techniques to produce credible findings.FindingsCoopetition is comprised of resource- and capability-sharing activities. These activities are driven by an industry-wide cooperative mind-set; also, firms having access to competitors’ resources and capabilities. Coopetition was found to increase performance in ways that would not be possible if firms did not collaborate with their rivals.Originality/valuePrevious studies have focused on the facets and consequences of coopetition rather than its antecedents. Whilst exploration of these facets was undertaken in this study to reinforce prior research, this paper also investigates the antecedents of coopetition underpinned by the resource-based theory to contribute to the entrepreneurial marketing literature.

New Zealand Winegrowers Attitudes and Behaviours towards Wine Tourism and Sustainable Winegrowing

There are significant economic, environmental, social, and marketing issues that exist from the supply-side perspective in response to sustainability. This study examines New Zealand winegrowers in terms of their attitudes and behaviours towards wine tourism and sustainable wine production. A national survey was conducted at the end of 2015, which was the fourth such survey to be undertaken as part of a longitudinal study of wine tourism in New Zealand. This survey drew on issues of wine and biosecurity, climate change, and eco-labelling, as well as wine tourism. These issues were examined within the context of three key drivers of sustainability: the physical aspects of sustainable wine production, the internal drivers within wine businesses for the adoption of sustainable practices, and the external regulatory aspects that govern the adoption of sustainable wine production practices. The findings indicate that there were substantial concerns with the perceived value provided by both wine tourism and sustainable winegrowing practices. These concerns exist at both the firm level and with the governing bodies that are responsible for implementing sustainable winegrowing initiatives. Unless this perception of the value of sustainability within the New Zealand wine industry is altered in the future, it appears that there will continue to be an ongoing issue as to how sustainable winegrowing initiatives are implemented.

Sustainability: A tool for governing wine production in New Zealand?

Governance mechanisms facilitate sustainability transitions by ensuring that people are engaging in socially and environmentally sound practice. This paper analyses the history of the New Zealand wine industry over the past twenty years to trace how agricultural actors handle regulatory and voluntary modes of environmental governance and navigate between them. The empirical basis for the paper comprises 22 semi-structured interviews with industry actors addressing the ‘Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand’ programme. This qualitative methodology facilitated the collection of historical data as well as the interrogation of the meanings interviewees attributed to particular events, practices or behaviours. A narrative analysis examined how interviewees situated themselves in relation with the sustainability programme and their wider environment. The research identifies the key moments that lead the industry to ground its environmentalism in markets, and to coordinate wine production practice through associated auditing. The historical development of the programme suggests that this was achieved through the industry's wholesale adoption of what had been a voluntary programme. The analysis also reveals that diverse actors involved in New Zealand wine production refer to similar intertwining narratives about the programme that demonstrate a shift from a voluntary to a de facto compulsory scheme. We argue that actors have acquiesced to the expansion of the programme, allowing it to shape wine production in New Zealand. In this context, winegrowers and winemakers relate to the sustainability programme as simultaneously a regulatory and a market-motivated form of governance. The findings provide insight to how collective market strategies paired with sustainability assessments can create a new kind of governance mechanism that bridges economic and social spheres.

Ecological and economic benefits of integrating sheep into viticulture production

The integration of crop and livestock systems has been recognized for its potential to reduce the environmental impacts associated with agriculture and improve farmer livelihoods. However, to date, most research has focused on the integration of cattle into crop and pasture systems. Here, we examine the integration of sheep into vineyards and assess farmers’ perceived benefits and costs of the practice. Viticulture expansion has led to significant land use change in recent years and new environmental challenges, particularly with respect to herbicide use. Sheep integration into vineyards offers the potential to utilize the synergies of both systems to reduce external inputs, promote soil health, and increase farmer profit. Our study focuses in New Zealand, the world’s 15th largest wine producer, particularly in Marlborough, which produces 75% of the country’s wine. As a result, the case study is an excellent representation of New Zealand viticulture, while also providing unique insights into a novel practice. Using a semi-structured interview and survey, we interviewed fifteen farmers representing 5% of total New Zealand wine production to examine ecological and economic benefits of sheep integration in viticulture systems. We find that seasonal integration of sheep during vine dormancy is common, while integration during the growing season is rare. Overall, farmers perceive significantly more benefits than challenges with the integration of sheep into vineyards, particularly reduced mowing (100% of farmers) and herbicide use (66% of farmers). On average, farmers reported 1.3 fewer herbicide applications annually, saving US$56 per hectare. As well, farmers indicated they were doing 2.2 fewer mows annually saving US$64 per hectare. These results suggest that wide-scale adoption of seasonal integration of sheep and viticulture can provide large ecological benefits and higher profitability vis-a-vis conventional viticulture practices; however, further integration of the two systems may provide even greater benefits not currently realized.