Stéphanie Peres

Bordeaux is one of the largest winegrowing regions in France, with contrasting vineyards and different terroirs. By blending several grape varieties, many styles of wine can be produced. This study investigated whether the check-all-that-apply (CATA) method can be used with a large number of wines according to their organoleptic characteristics. A wine panel assessed 143 entry-level red Bordeaux wines using 62 descriptors and a 10-point quality rating. Despite the large number of samples, the method proved repeatable and capable of discriminating wines into four groups. Twenty wines representative of the overall sampling were analysed by quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA), and the results obtained with both methods were compared. The CATA was validated for assessing a large number of samples. Selecting a representative sample of a product is essential when setting up a study in which the organoleptic diversity of the samples under evaluation may complicate their identification. The CATA method proved to be a fast, repeatable technique that allows non-trained wine experts to select a representative sample among a large number of wines.

This article explores the issues surrounding the agroecological transition in the European wine industry, focusing on reducing pesticide use, developing organic certification and using genetic research in relation to resistant grape varieties. The study distinguishes between stakeholders from the wine industry, institutions and the agricultural research sector. The findings consistently identify the agroecological transition as a priority, particularly in terms of pesticide reduction. However, variations exist in the views of the surveyed stakeholders. French and Portuguese stakeholders emphasise the role of market and societal pressures as drivers of the transition, while Italian producers do not. Professionals in France and Portugal express doubts about achieving pesticide reduction through changes in practices, while others stress the importance of regulatory constraints. The research also highlights industry challenges such as decreased consumption due to health awareness and the need for social responsibility. Resistant grape varieties are seen as a viable solution, especially for the development of organic production, but market acceptability remains a significant hurdle. The study sheds light on stakeholder perspectives and challenges, thus contributing to a better understanding of priorities in the European wine industry’s pursuit of sustainable practices.

In many countries, the consumption of still wine is in strong decline. The market for rose wine, however, stands in stark contrast to this trend, seeing worldwide growth of almost 30% over the last 15 years. For most observers/experts, product colour plays an important role in this paradigm shift. For this reason, companies’ marketing efforts often focus on this purely visual characteristic. There is, however, no certainty that other emerging consumer demands, related to environmental concerns or how “natural” a wine is (organic wines, natural wines, etc.), do not also play a role in the enthusiasm seen in new wine consumers. This article proposes an assessment of expectations related to colour and the decisions made by rose wine consumers, using two complementary experiments carried out in France. The first experiment is based on an online survey studying only consumers’ colour preferences. We will show that, contrary to popular belief, there is no consensus on this criterion, although regional trends can be identified. Typically, the “salmon” shade, which is generally the leader on the global market—and characteristic of Provence wines—does not win unanimous support across all regions. In contrast, an “apricot” shade seems to be preferred by consumers in the Bordeaux region. The second experiment confirms this result within the framework of an experimental market revealing consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP). This market also offers consumers the opportunity to taste wines and provides information on organic certification and “naturalness” (symbolised by the absence of added sulphites). We will then demonstrate how the latter criteria, although often popular, play only a small role—compared with colour—in consumer decisions. We will conclude this article with observations on the atypical nature of the rose wine market and on possible avenues for further research related to the emotional role colour plays in wine tasting and its possible specificity in the world of food and drink products.

The wine industry contributes to the economy and reputation of many countries all over the world. This sector is likely to be particularly affected, given its extreme sensitivity to any change in climate patterns. This article tries to discover if scientific knowledge has led to recommendations, and to identifying strategies associated with climate change (CC) for wine growers. Based on an original citation network analysis (26 years; 782 papers), it tracks seminal articles on the subject; leading recent developments; and the scientific trajectory of this growing body of knowledge. Findings reveal researchers’ relatively recent interest in global warming, more than in CC, and particularly in key variables such as temperature. Although the findings reveal a relative dearth of research on adaptation strategies in the existing corpus, the latter could clearly be beneficial to companies seeking to develop their viticulture strategies. JEL Codes: O3, Q1, Q54, Q55

Cet article vise à expliquer l’organisation spatiale des activités industrielles des coopératives agricoles françaises en 2005. Les auteurs mobilisent les outils de l’analyse exploratoire de données spatiales pour caractériser les structures de localisation des activités au niveau établissement à partir d’un découpage en cinq familles de produits. Ces outils étant sensibles aux découpages spatiaux retenus, ils testent l’impact de deux niveaux géographiques (canton et département) puis estiment au niveau cantonal plusieurs modèles logistiques pour identifier les facteurs explicatifs des structures spatiales observées. Les résultats, différenciés selon les familles de produit, mettent en lumière la localisation préférentielle des activités industrielles dans les zones à haut potentiel agricole mais aussi dans des zones démographiques en croissance et à proximité d’aires urbaines de taille intermédiaire.

The article studies changing land use between 2002 and 2009 in the Greater Bordeaux metropolitan area for land that had previously been used for wine production but was able capable of supporting residential purposes. It aims to analyse the phenomenon of land parcels' conversion in light of the speed at which this occurs across a suburban area. The article's originality resides in its development of a spatial breakdown enabling the definition of different sub-regions of quality-wine production, where a duration model was tested to ascertain explanatory variables' cumulative effects on the likelihood of parcels transitioning. With outcomes varying from one trajectory to another, its suggestion is that exist different spatial dynamics in Bordeaux's suburban wine-producing spaces, depending on the quality and reputation of the vineyard in question.

This paper studies the spatial dynamics of French agricultural cooperatives using the recently-developed Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis (ESDA) tool. Analysis at the level of French districts in 1995 and 2005 shows strong evidence for global and local spatial autocorrelations in the geographical distribution of agricultural cooperatives. The presence of spatial disparities between French districts is confirmed by the detection of such specific spatial patterns as district clusters, a group of neighbouring districts with the same high or low level of agricultural cooperative activities. A typology of all the different Regions is developed to examine the specific spatial patterns of the agricultural cooperative activities. The results indicate that major organizational changes in cooperatives do not significantly modify the initial dynamics concerning the location of activities.