Marlborough Wine Terroir - Wine, Tourism, and Marketing - Case Study Example

Statement of Authorship Wine, Tourism, and Маrkеting: The case of Marlborough Wine By: Student’s name Code+ course name Professor’ s name University name City, State Date Table of Content Executive Summary 4 Introduction 5 The Old World Wine and the New World Wine 6 Conclusion 19 Recommendations 19 References 19 Appendices 20 Executive Summary The wine industry will always offer unique and exciting trends as far as the industry is concerned. The adoption of the new world wine industry concept is to promote wine production globally even in countries where wine was never produced before. Wine was predominantly produced in European and the Middle Eastern countries for many years. Those countries were known to be the producers of the best wine in the world. In these countries, the old world wine is cherished and has a wider demand by the wine tasters. Indigenous wine producing countries have always been touted as having the best wine quality. Although this issue has always excited controversy, it is important to carry out a scientific assessment of the issue. Wine production is determined by many factors, among them; environment, climate, technology and human factors. This report investigates the Marlborough Wine Terroir. The study looks into the issues of soil and climate in the Marlborough region. The report identifies some of the natural factors, which have contributed to the success of Marlborough wine production. Environmental factors are important in the wine industry since they influence the quality of and the nature of wine produced. It is important to note the landscape and the environment, which grapevines thrive. This has also been elaborated in this report. The climatic conditions and regions, which the grapevines flourish, have also been expounded. Although there have been believes that the old world regions offer the best wine, this has never been scientifically proved. The new world wine industry will continue to excite a lot of interest because it is perceived to be a big competition to the old world wine market. Introduction Wine is an alcoholic drink, which is made from grapes and other fermented fruits. Wine has natural properties, which make it to ferment on its own. The yeast found in the grapes is responsible for converting the grapes to alcohol. Wine tends to vary in styles, which are dependent on the grape varieties, and the yeast elements. That is the reason why there are white wine and red wine varieties. There are other types of wines made from products such as apple and rice. These wines are normally referred as fruit wine, but they can still be known by the product names. That is the reason why there is rice wine, apple and berry wine. Wine has an archeological record dating back more than 7.5 thousand years (Jackson 2008). It is believed that the earliest wine production was in 6000 BC. The Greeks and the Romans used wine during celebrations and on special occasions. Wine is one of the foundations of Western civilization (Estreicher 2006). In many cultures, wine was used to supplement the diet and for religious practices. In the Roman Empire, wine was an essential commodity during religious functions. In the modern world, wine is still consumed for leisure and in religious festivities. The wine industry has continued to grow due to the emergence of new wine production territories. Wine has also widely been acclaimed to be a healthy drink and hence its popularity. According to Lucia (1963), wine has been used in the treatment of several human afflictions. Although consumption of excessive alcohol is discouraged, there are studies, which encourage consumption of wine in moderation. Wine has been proved to reduce heart related diseases such as heart attack. Red wine contains chemical compounds called procyanidins, which have health benefits to the heart. The chemical is also an antioxidant that helps in reducing the aging complications in the body. All these social and economic factors have contributed to the growth of the wine industry. The Old World Wine and the New World Wine Wine origin is closely related to specific parts of the world mainly Europe and Middle East countries. However, wine is believed to have originated from Spain, Italy, France, Greece, Lebanon among other countries. These are some of the European and Middle Eastern countries where wine production began centuries ago. The old world and the new world wine are used to define and differentiate winemaking and wine cultivation practices. The two types of industry defer in key aspects such as the region. The types of the grapes growing in those regions have always determined the production of the old wine. This means that wine was generally referred based on the grapes grown from the regions. An example of the red wine is from the red grapes while other grapes varieties produce white wine. The new world wine countries, on the other hand, are the new entrants in the wine industry. These countries did not originally produce wine. The countries happen to be former colonies. They include U.S, South Africa, Australia, Argentina, Chile and New Zealand. Geographical factors are currently the major defining factors in wine production. Geographical features and the land terrain is the new concept used in wine production. That is why the word new world wine has been coined. The terrains and location currently define wine production and marketing strategies. There have been debates about the old world wine and the new world wine. The latter is advocated to be superior to the former. Although there is no scientific evidence to prove the superiority of either, it is believed that the notion is caused by nostalgic feelings to the old wine. The old world wine style is viewed as more superior to the new world wine style. The Terroir Terroir is a French word, which means terrain. Terroir is used in the wine fraternity to refer to the quality and the characteristics of wine. Wine is considered unique depending on the location in which the grapes are grown (Boulton 1996). It is believed that wine is either superior or inferior depending on the terrain. The terrain features include; the climate, soil temperatures among other environmental factors. Thus, environmental factors in general affect the quality of any vegetation. However, Jackson (2000) argues that, the geographical wine classification rarely provides the consumer with useful information on the characteristics of wine. Grapes generally do not perform well in harsh climatic conditions. Extreme hot weather adversely affects grapes. The concept of terroir may be viewed as any geographical factor that determines the uniqueness of wine. The factors include the soil, slope, drainage, and the microclimate of a region. Temperatures and humidity are also important to the terroir concept. Different types of grapes flourish well in different types of terrains. Some grapes have been found to be hypersensitive to some environments. Any slight changes to soil architecture or climate may cause significant changes to the texture and taste of the grapes. The terror concept is relevant when wine production is from a single variety of grapes grown in similar vineyards. In most wine producing areas, particularly in the Southern Hemisphere countries, the wine share similar characteristics. Terroir in the warm regions results in wines of several blends due to the growth of two or more grape varieties. The terroir concept defines the new methods and techniques of wine blending and cultivation. It is worth noting that this concept defines the way the wine description and branding is carried out. Land Orientation The land orientation is also a key determinant in the growth of grapes. Valleys are known to be a major factor for the growth of grapes (Pinney 1989). Majority of vineyards world over are situated in the valleys. The valleys have good climatic conditions and the soils are normally rich in minerals. The valleys were formed by volcanic activities and this makes the soil fertile for farming activities. Vineyards (the plantations for grapes) thrive well in such climatic conditions. Famous vineyards such as the Napa Valley in California are based on this type of valleys. The vineyards flourish in the hillsides of valleys where other crops may not do well. Despite the fact that vineyards have different terrain, it is difficult to make any differences in the type of vineyards. The size of the vineyards has continued to increase due to the new world wine. Wine consumption has also increased considerably. The new world wine such as the US and Chile has made very good progress in the wine industry (Jackson 2000). Chile, for example, is known to have replaced poor quality grapes with high quality grapes such as chardonnay. Home brewing is also one of the key reasons for the expansion of grapevine acreage. National policies and legislation also play a role in the expansion of land size under vineyards. The orientation of land and its region contributes to the nature of the terrain. Some terrains are found in dry regions while others are exists in wet regions. Those factors are key determinants to the nature and the quality of wine. The new world wine industry defines the wine as per these territories. Branding of the wine is done as per these geographical locations. The valleys, plain lands and the mountainous locations are the most famous land orientations for setting up vineyards. Marlborough Wine Marlborough is a case example of a successful new world wine. Proponents of the old world wine had always advocated for the consumption of the old world wine. The wine was touted to be flesh and was made using the best processes. However, the new world wine has proved different through offering quality wine brands. The Sauvignon Blanc wine in Marlborough has caused an upsurge of wine demand in the region. A Marlborough wine is a new world wine terroir based in New Zealand. The vineyards are located in the northeast of the South Island, which is famous for dry climates. The main wine produced in Marlborough is called Sauvignon Blanc wine. The wine is made from green grapes, which originated from France. Marlborough is the largest wine producing region in New Zealand. Marlborough has made a name even internationally due to its Sauvignon Blanc wine. That has caused an increase in the hectares under grapes, especially in the Wairau Valley. The regions have become famous for the production of good wine, which has attracted international interest. Major world wine outlets have mentioned about the Sauvignon Blanc wine. The green grapes offer good flavored wine, which wine tasters acknowledge to be of high class. Marlborough is located near mountain to the west. This region experiences sunny and dry spell, which are highest in New Zealand. The grapes flourish very well in those climatic conditions. This is because, in such climates, the grapes take time to ripen in a slow pace and thus making its flavor very exciting. Temperatures by an average of 24 degrees Celsius are recorded in the summer and the nights are normally cool. These climatic conditions make the grapes have more acid than grapes from other terrains. New Zealand is considered to be the home for Sauvignon blank wine. This wine is known to be the one of the best wines in the world. The vine growing in New Zealand dates back since the colonial period in 1836. French missionaries established the oldest vineyards in New Zealand. The activity of grape farming was by then an unimportant activity in the country. Vineyards only existed in the West and North of Auckland. It is argued that the immigrants brought the economic aspects of the vineyards in New Zealand. For many years, the vineyards were seen as marginal activities without any economic value. The immigrants had a culture of alcohol drinking and the community preferred table wine a lot. This also influenced the New Zealanders and caused a change in their perception in regards to the wine industry. There was a shift in the wine industry in 1970 when Marlborough started wine production and branding. This was the beginning of the production of the Sauvignon blanc wine. Other wine brands were introduced later in the following years. This marked the beginning of the success of Marlborough. As a result, there was an increased investment in the wine industry. More hectares were planted with vines and the wine production increased significantly. The more the wine production increased, the more the region became famous for its wine. As discussed earlier, terrains influence the characteristics of the grapes and wine in general. It may require an experienced wine taster at times to differentiate between the tastes of wine from two different terrains. The diurnal temperatures in Marlborough have a big variation. This influences the development of grapes in bigger ways. Marlborough prides itself for the strategic geographical location. That is one of the main reasons why the region produces superior wine brands compared to other parts of the world. Terroir Soil Soil nature and texture forms play a key role in the growth of grapes. If soil in any given terrain is not favorable for the growth of grapes, any effort to do the same is futile. The Marlborough soil has a low fertility level. The valleys of the Awatere and Wairau particularly have sandy-loamy soils. The soils are somehow stony and they have layers of shingles. These soils are generally shallow in nature. They have good drainage, which makes them favorable for growth of grapes, which produce vines with less vigor. Soils, which hold more water, are suitable for the growth of vines with herbaceous flavor. Soil is a major concern in many vineyards (Estreicher 2006). It is important to take care of the soil as it determines the quality of wine produced. Sometimes soil may be damaged due to use of poor agricultural methods. These include the use of poor quality fertilizers and herbicides. When soils are destroyed, they interfere with the normal development of the vines. This may reduce the levels of wine production and alter the market needs. Soil may also be destroyed by other human factors such as encroachment and clearing the agricultural land for habitation purposes. The wine region of Marlborough is situated in alluvial valleys. The valleys are located in the mountainous side of the New Zealand have alluvial soils. This type of soil has good drainage system and contains a high concentration of calcium carbonate. The soil in Marlborough have moderate fertility and the water table is low. These factors make the soil suitable for growing of the Sauvignon blank wine producing vines. The riverbeds in the region also have soils with very high concentrations of the gravels. The soil store heat produced during the days to counter the cool breezes during the night. Soil Degradation Soil erosion is also a common problem in vineyards. Because of the geographical nature and the terrains of the vineyards are uneven, this makes them susceptible to soil erosion. Soil erosion not only interferes with the vines, but also, washes away soil nutrients. A number of sites in Marlborough are moderately fertile and that makes the vines to prosper. When erosions or any other types of soil degeneration happen, the production of wine will also be affected. The soil under the vineyard should always be kept from pests and weed, which usually degenerates the soil in the end. The vineyards have an orientation for specific locations and geographical zones. This is when considering the fact that most of the vineyards in the world are found in the valleys. Valleys are geographical features, which are because of volcanic activities. These activities happened many years ago, but caused profound effects to the surface of the earth. When volcano eruptions occurred, valleys and craters were formed from the magma, which was produced by the volcanoes. In most cases, the valleys have distinct environmental characteristics. The rain patterns are different from that of the normal region like the plains. The climate at the valleys may have extreme variations during the day and the night. Most valleys will experience sunny days and very cold nights. These variations are important during the different phases of the vine development. These variations are the cause to different wine flavors. The soil in most parts of these valleys ranges from mild sandy to loamy soils. During the formation of the valleys, the volcanoes generated many sandy substances. These are the elements, which later on form the soil in such valleys. These geographical factors are very important for vine growth. The vineyards also thrive very well near the mountainous regions (Pinney 1989). The mountains have unique climatic conditions. It is common knowledge about the dynamics of the Leeward and the windward sides of mountainous regions. Rainfall in such regions is very spontaneous and the wet seasons are always guaranteed. The windward side of the mountain is very dry and sunny on many occasions. These sets of climatic conditions go well with grapevine plantations. The valleys of Marlborough were formed many years ago by glaciers. The valleys have warm and sunny weather. The wind from the pacific sea is the main cause of the cool breeze at Blenheim. The sea breezes are very important in this region because of the cooling effect to the valleys, which are normally hot during the day. The long dry autumns are favorable for the grapes to grow and mature. Grapes variety issues There are various types of grapes and all of them differ from the other by the fact that they are grown in different terrains. The wine tasting concept is used to determine the nature of wine based on terrain (Jackson 2002). It is popularly believed that the wine from the old wine countries is the only superior wine. The new world wine is viewed as a new entrant in the wine industry. However, the new world wine industries use the same methods and techniques used by the old wine countries. New Zealand is renowned for its wines and the varieties of the grapes grown in the country. The French grape varieties dominate among other grape strains. The types of grape varieties grown in the country include Arneis, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc among others. Arneis variety is one of the emerging grape varieties in New Zealand. It is a traditional grape originating from Italy. The grape is very sensitive to climatic changes and it can overripe quickly in harsh climatic conditions. Chardonnays are big grapes in size and they have flavors of the fruits. These grapes produce wine styles, which includes the unwooded wines. The wines are normally well fermented and are easy to drink. The Marbough region grapes normally produce wine with lemon flavor. The Pinot Gris grape variety has a wider acceptance in the wine industry in New Zealand. These grapes produce a wine variety with apple flavors and this makes the wine popular to wine consumers. Sauvignon Blanc, which originated from France, Loire Valley was cultivated since 1970. This is the most famous wine style in the country and is exported. It is estimated that this variety contributes to more than eighty percent of wine production in the country. The grapes produce capsicum to passion fruit wine varieties. Grape varieties form the basis for wine classifications and styles. All these grape types have varying environment and blending requirements. The majority of the grapes is dependent more on environmental factors rather than the latter. The grape types dictate the wine styles and flavoring. When establishing vineyards, it is important to consider the types of grapes to plant. This is based on the considerations that terrains determine the type of grapes that can be grown in any given region. The soils and the climatic conditions should always be favorable to the grape strain being planted. The essence of this is to avoid loss of vines due to harsh environmental conditions. Some grape varieties become too acidic in a given environment while others become overripe and hence they become unsuitable for wine production. Grapes Farming Methods and Harvesting Wine farming and harvesting forms the most important phases in wine production. These two processes go hand in hand and they cannot be separated. Establishment of a vineyard commences by carrying out a thorough research on the suitable grapes to plant based on the terrain. After the grapes have been planted, they require care through land tilling and pest control. The grapes also require monitoring from any adverse natural effects. The grapes always manifest some physical characteristics when ready for harvesting. The color pigmentation and the skin of the grapes have a combination of features not common with other grapes. The grapes normally acquire a deep, thick greenish color and high acidic levels. The harvesting of grapes is carried out in the months of April when the weather is wet to avoid grapes from being damaged by the heavy rains. Harvesting can also be influenced by any changes in the weather patterns. In some situations, there might be unpredictable weather patterns. Harvesting season is planned for in order to allow time for production and proper fermentation of wine (Jackisch 1985). There are cases when the rain sets in earlier than expected and this result to an early harvesting of the grapes. During such instances, any delays in harvesting may cause a major loss of the grapes. Manual harvesting is carried out through the use of hands to pick the grapes. This mode of harvesting is costly and time consuming. Despite the setbacks of the manual methods of harvesting, the system is still preferred than the use of machines. It is believed that humans are more cautious when handling the grapes, unlike the machines that in some cases pick also the unripe berries. Wine and Marketing The new world wine has marshaled to the level of the old world wine. Improvement in the production methods will drastically improve the perception of the industries (Hall 2000). Proper marketing and brand promotion should be adopted. That should include promotion of new world wine countries as tourist destination regions. Wine has been predominantly associated with the traditional wine producing countries. The traditional methods of wine growing, farming and preparations varied to some extent with the new word wine concept. Traditional wine was reputed for its flavors, which a characteristic which was ingrained in the grapes. It was easy and possible to market these wines based on their quality rather than the origin. The strong point on the marketing strategy for the traditional wines was the fact that the trade had began many years ago. That made the consumers accustomed to the wine from the traditional wine produces The new world wine concept is focused more on the territorial factors. The terrains are the determining factors on the when promoting and marketing the wine. Many of the new regions producing wine have unique characteristics in terms of terrains and grapes varieties. The new concept adopted currently by such regions is to market their wines in a block kind of strategy. This is whereby for example the Marbough region markets the Sauvignon Blanc wines as its unique wine brand. The strategy of this type of marketing and promotion method is effective in promotion of competitiveness. The wine producing countries will strive to add more value to their wines regardless of the types of grapes. That will create a good perception on the new world wine as unique in both the quality of wine and the brand image. Wine and Tourism The wine industry has a role in the contribution of tourism activities. Tourism could be either domestic or international. The reasons for tourism are many and include, among others leisure and excursion. People tend to move from one region or country to the other for any of those reasons. The wine industry can be a big player in the promotion of tourism. The terroirs regions are some of the best visiting destinations that can be marketed by the wine industry. The terrains in such regions offer excellent sceneries that could be a source attraction. The tourists who visit such areas could be both local and foreigners. While the motive of touring such sites would be initially for leisure, the visits could offer other benefits to the wine industry. Visitors of the wines terrains are potential customers for the wines produced in such regions. They also act as indirect sales vehicles for the wine produced in the region. The visitors not only have a chance to sample the region’s wine, but also learn a number of issues in the production and farming of grapes. That would be a good learning experience where important ideas are exchanged and learnt. Marbough region normally conduct world fairs and exhibitions to market Sauvignon Blanc wine. The region also regularly conducts international invitations through promotion of tourism participations in the region. Those are reasons why Marbough has caught the world attention. The Sauvignon Blanc brand has become famous and the notion of visiting the region to have a taste of the wine has become common. Other wine producing regions too can adopt this strategy through participation in the wine tourism ventures. Conclusion Wine is slowly but surely becoming a lifestyle drink for many consumers across the globe. The wine sector is also a source of foreign exchange. Wine trade can be enhanced to accommodate other new aspects of the trade such as tourism. The terroir for growing grapes can be marketed as tourist destinations and for international wine tasting. Wine business will continue to grow since the perception of the industry of the majority is on the lighter side as compared to the mainstream alcohol industry. Recommendations It is important that all wine producing regions to form a joint venture for wine marketing and value addition. The wine industry success will always be determined by the sales revenue generation. If the wine industry cannot sustain the dynamic market force requirements, multiple solutions must always be sought to enhance marketing and promotion of wine destinations. The new word wine should incorporate marketing strategies to make the wine in the regions more popular than the old world wine regions. Marketing strategies should include branding concepts that blend with the specific terroirs. Wine regions should stop segregating themselves in terms of grapes characteristics and the nature of the vineyards. Promotion of wine should adopt an all-inclusive perspective. References Boulton, R. B 1996, Principles and practices of winemaking, Chapman & Hall, New York. Clarke, R. J., & Bakker, J 2004, Wine flavor chemistry, Blackwell Pub., Oxford, UK. Estreicher, S. K 2006, Wine from Neolithic times to the 21st century, Algora Pub, New York Hall, C. M 2000, Wine tourism around the world: development, management, and markets, Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford. Jackson, P 1985. Modern winemaking, Cornell University Press, N.Y. Jackson, R 2000, Wine Science: Principles, Practice, Perception, Academic Press, San Diego. Jackson, R. S 2002, Wine tasting a professional handbook, Academic Press, San Diego. Jackson, R. S 2008, Wine science principles and applications (3rd ed.), Elsevier/Academic Press Amsterdam. Lucia, S. P 1963, A history of wine as therapy, Lippincott, Philadelphia. Pinney, T 1989, A history of wine in America: from the beginnings to prohibition. University of California Press, Berkeley. Appendices Appendix 1 Top wine regions Source: www.winefolly.com Appendix 2 Wine Trends Source:www.gallus-group.com Read More