The Impact of “Wine Country of Origin” on the Perception of Wines by South African and French Wine Consumers: A Cross-Cultural Comparison

Culture is an important factor that influences how marketing interacts with food choice. This study aims at exploring the effect of consumers’ Country of Origin (COO) on wine representations and perception using Chenin blanc as a model. The first objective was to evaluate the role of origin in the construction of the representation. We used the theoretical framework of social representation to compare South African (SA) and French consumers’ representations via a word association task. The results indicated that SA representations are dominated by consumers’ experience of the wine (sensory and emotional dimensions), whereas French representations are dominated by the wine itself, in particular its origin and mode of consumption. The second objective was to evaluate the effect of origin on wine categorization in two conditions: with and without information concerning the two geographical origins of the samples. Results showed that providing information on the origin of the wines affected French participants more than SA participants. In both conditions, the groups of wines formed in the sorting tasks by SA participants were based on sensory descriptors and appeared not to be impacted by the information on origin. In contrast, providing information on the origin of the wines to French participants led to an increased use of the words “Loire”, “South Africa” and “familiar” suggesting a different sorting strategy more deliberately based on the origin of the wines. Our findings have important implications for the marketing and export activities within the wine industry.

The Effect of Different Oak Products Used during Fermentation and Ageing on the Sensory Properties of a White Wine over Time

The sensorial evaluation of Chenin blanc wine produced with different types of oak wood treatments over time has not been investigated before. The main aim of this study was to assess the sensory profile, using a trained panel, of a South African Chenin blanc wine fermented and matured in old barrels, three types of new oak barrels, two types of oak staves as well as a stainless steel tank over time, which has not been done before. Results indicate mainly separation between the stainless-steel tank/old barrel treatments from the stave and new barrel treatments, with separation between the latter two treatments also being found. More fruity descriptors were used in the stainless-steel tank and old barrel treatments, with oak-related descriptors being used in the stave and new barrel treatments. Separation between among the new barrel and stave treatments were also noted, which was still reflected during bottle maturation. These results indicate that winemakers need to take cognizance of the sensorial differences induced by barrel and stave maturation in white wines and how these evolve over time.

COMPARATIVO DE LA EROSIÓN DEL ESMALTE DENTAL EN DIENTES PERMANENTES SUMERGIDOS EN TRES TIPOS DE VINO: ESTUDIO IN VITRO

En estos tiempos, existen diversos estilos de vida de las personas, como el beber licor, consumo de tabaco, etc. Que son factores etiológicos para la aparición de lesiones sobre los órganos dentales y otros. Actualmente, los medios de comunicación, las publicidades engañosas y la gran influencia de las redes sociales, están siendo utilizados con el fin de estimular al consumo de lo antes descrito, es por eso que este estudio de tipo experimental realizado en laboratorio, se pretendió comparar la erosión in vitro del esmalte dental en dientes permanentes humanos sumergidos en tres tipos de vinos que hoy día son de uso frecuente en distintas reuniones sociales. Las evaluaciones fueron de 2 maneras, de peso en una balanza analítica y de distancia que se llevó a cabo con un microscopio óptico. De manera que los dientes de 1 mm. de espesor fueron divididos en 3 grupos, sometidos en contacto con cada vino por 5 minutos y sumergidos por 3 minutos en saliva humana; con 5 repeticiones cada 24 horas. Estas láminas fueron evaluadas antes del procedimiento, a los 15 días y para finalizar a los 30 días. Así mismo todas las piezas dentarias fueron sumergidas en saliva, y esta no cumplió ninguna función de protección ya que todas las bebidas erosionaron. Los dientes utilizados fueron 18 láminas. Esto nos llevó a los siguientes resultados observando que el esmalte dental al ser sumergido por el vino Borgoña (pH 3.16) erosionó con mayor porcentaje, seguido del vino Chenin Blanc (pH 3.17) y teniendo como último resultado al vino Gran Rose (pH de 3.45). En conclusión, se asegura que la bebida con menos índice de pH es la que causa más erosión en el esmalte dental.

Wine Quality Drivers: A Case Study on South African Chenin Blanc and Pinotage Wines

The aim of the study was to propose a methodology for the elucidation of sensory and chemical wine quality drivers. The winners of the 2018 Top 10 Chenin Blanc and Top 10 Pinotage challenges and additional lower scoring wines for each cultivar were evaluated. The two sets underwent sensory profiling by Check-All-That-Apply (CATA) and a 20-point quality rating by industry experts in non-competition conditions and chemical fingerprinting by Liquid Chromatography-High Resolution Mass Spectrometry (LC-HRMS). Data were submitted to Correspondence Analysis (CA) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) for sensory and chemistry, respectively, from which the standardised deviates were correlated to quality scores to identify the quality drivers. The results illustrated the possibility to determine positive and negative sensory quality drivers (attributes), while the identification of drivers for chemistry (ions) was challenging due to the number of signals generated by the fingerprinting technique. The configurations of the sensory and chemical spaces were compared, but the similarities were relatively low as measured by Regression Vector (RV) coefficients, 0.437 and 0.505 for Pinotage and Chenin Blanc, respectively. The proposed methodology can also be used to explore the sensory space of wine sample sets with the added dimension of the quality drivers which, in turn, highlight the experts’ opinions on what makes a winning wine.

A varietal-specific approach to investigate wine risk perception in South Africa

Purpose This study aims to describe South African consumers’ wine risk perception on varietal level with recommendations for Chenin blanc. Design/methodology/approach An exploratory mixed methods approach was followed where qualitative data were used to develop the questionnaire. Quantitative data were collected from 2,051 respondents using an online survey. ANOVA and Fischer least significance difference tests were used to indicate statistical significance. Findings Significant perceived risks (PRs) associated with Chenin blanc across age and ethnic groups were functional, time and financial risks. Risk-reducing strategies (RRS) in the white wine category were favourite brands and a trusted store, while Sauvignon blanc was also described as an RRS. Recommended Chenin blanc RRS include tastings and events with food. Research limitations/implications Measurement of PR remains challenging. This research approach can be reproduced and/or adapted to investigate other struggling varietals and/or regions-of-origin. The convenience sample limits generalisability. Practical implications Segments were identified to develop new markets for Chenin blanc. RRS emphasise the importance of real sensory experience rather than media exposure to build knowledge and familiarity. Originality/value This study is a pioneering endeavour in terms of using an exploratory mixed methods research approach to investigate and describe risk perception of a specific wine varietal. Recommendations, with implications for strategic marketing decisions, are made for South African Chenin blanc.