This is one of the opinions that Robert Joseph will be putting forward at the round table "The Impact of Globalization on the World of Wine", to be celebrated at FENAVIN 2007

05.05.2007 | 

Included in the Program of Activities of the National Trade Fair on Wine - that will take place from May 7th to the 10th at the Ciudad Real Trade Fair Pavilion-, the idea behind this meeting is to highlight the details of this prodigy that globalization is within the viticulture sector.

Robert Joseph is founder of the contest 'International Wine Challenge', author of more than 25 books, Editor in Chief of the magazine 'Wine Business International' and he regularly publishes in 'The Joseph Report'. In the United Kingdom, he is considered one of the 50 most influential people in that concerning the wine that will be consumed in the 21st century.

When we ask him about the main subjects he wants to cover at the round table 'The Impact of Globalization on the World of Wine' and its consequences for Spanish wine, his responses are as follows:

"The world of wine is undergoing a period in which both revolution and evolution are walking hand-in-hand. On the one part we have both individual wineries, as well as large-scale companies that are launching wines from small vineyards, with the reason for this being none other than the way in which these wines reflect the region's nature and terroir.

New denominations or indications of origin are being created every year in practically all wine producing countries. Even so, the other side of the coin is that we find a clear tendency towards brand wines that have very little or no sense of origin whatsoever. This includes wines that arise from new and great national denominations -such as 'Viñedos de España' and 'Vin de Pays des Vignobles de la France'- and wines such as 'Blue Nun' or 'Lindemans', which are elaborated in various countries.

Recent studies prove that British and American consumers quite often have no idea where their favorite wines are elaborated, and they are just barely aware of a few denominations of origin and this is particularly true in the case of Spanish wines with Denomination of Origin.

Another tendency has been internationalization -or perhaps one should actually say the 'Americanization'- of tastes and of the reviewers' recommendations, which has resulted in some Priorato wines, great and powerful wines, currently leading the price lists, far and beyond 'Rioja wines', which actually boast much longer histories. Impact produced by publications such as Robert Parker's or the magazine 'Wine Spectator' are more than well known, however, the opinion shared by thousands of individuals in their Internet blogs are equally valid and important.

Finally, the changes that have taken place within the scope of distribution are equally relevant, in which the center of gravity has been transferred from the specialized stores to the supermarkets and on-line stores.

All these tendencies need a similar evolution in that pertaining to the Spanish wineries' way of thinking -and likewise any other producer country's- that is, with regards to how their wines are elaborated, packaged, promoted and sold..."