Wine origin and organic elaboration, differentiating strategies in traditional producing countries

Purpose - This article aims to analyse various wine differentiation strategies (price, origin, type and production system) to counteract the commercial success of new wine producers compared to traditional ones. Design/methodology/approach - The methodology consisted of a survey of 400 Castilla-La Mancha wine consumers during the month of March 2004, whose preferences were determined through several multivariate techniques. Findings - Three consumer segments were identified: the first shops for wine mainly by price, the second, by origin and the third, by a combination of price and type of wine. In this sense, except for the first segment, where competition by a cheaper wine from other places could endanger the local market, possible strategies would be to continue emphasising origin in a traditional approach and to search for a new wine differentiation based on organic production. Both strategies, which can be carried out jointly, would require government backing in addition to support from the business sector. Originality/value - This paper contributes to a greater knowledge of Spanish consumer habits by analysing the degree of influence that various factors have on attitudes towards the purchasing of wine.