Wine, global warming and corporate strategies: how to anticipate consumer reaction?

Summary It is widely accepted that global warming will have significant consequences for many vineyards around the world, with impacts on grape production, grape quality and therefore wine quality. In Bordeaux and other regions, global warming is partly the cause of a change in the chemical composition of grapes harvested under over-ripe conditions. In this context, global warming will involve important economic stakes in wine consumption, and it may be useful to know the capacity of consumers to accept these wines in the long term. The objective of this thesis is both prospective with respect to global warming and its consequences on wine quality and current with respect to the sustainable adequacy between supply and demand. The method of analysis is that of an experimental market coupled with a sensory analysis. Experiments with consumers have shown the influences of the characteristics of global warming wines on consumer preferences and the valuation of wines on the market́. Finally, the results show that consumers have differentiated valuations for oenological processes that aim to correct the negative effects of global warming.