By Dave Nershi, CSW
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| China is an emerging wine market. |
How do emerging wine regions compete with the
big players for shelf space and the hearts of consumers? According to one
scholar, they should take a holistic view of their situation and focus on
creativity and artisanal winemaking.
"In my research, I’ve always studied emerging
and transforming regions and looked at their infrastructures and environments,”
said Eric Patterson at the Southeastern United Grape and Wine Symposium, recently held
at Surry Community College in Dobson, NC. As a student at California’s UC
Davis, it was natural that he would see how this applied to the wine world. “I
did preliminary research, and it just exploded. I knew this would be a path.”
Patterson is pursuing a cultural anthropology
doctorate as a PhD student at UC Davis. His research focus is emerging wine
cultures and their social, political, and economic impact.
In his work, he uses a concept known as
winescapes, first developed by Vander Valduga, Sarah Marroni Minasi, and Gui
Lohmann in the Routledge Handbook of Wine
Tourism in 2022. If wine terroir is a chess game, a winescape is
three-dimensional chess.
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Eric Patterson in a
North Carolina vineyard. |
According to Patterson, a winescape is a
multifaceted wine region defined by its unique local culture, terroir, and
winemaking practices. It stretches beyond mere geography to encompass the
social dynamics and economic factors that shape wine production, appreciation,
and consumption.
A winescape can have geographic boundaries but
transcends a regional focus. It is more holistic, including culture,
creativity, and winemaking practices.
The winescape framework “helps you understand
how a wine region will flesh out,” said Patterson. “It includes all the things
that affect the wine region. It allows the region to reach its maximum
potential.”
Emerging wine regions are gaining prominence
as they bring fresh perspectives and innovative approaches to viticulture and
oenology. These areas contribute to economic growth and diversify the global
wine landscape, offering distinct flavors and stories.
Two winescapes visited during Patterson’s
fieldwork couldn’t be more different: China and North Carolina. Both are
considered emerging wine regions. Both are unlocking creativity in their
growth.
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| Erik Martella's Summer Kitchen. |
“Creativity is a fuel that needs to be used,”
said Patterson. “It’s a driving force.” There is a greater need for creativity
in regions where conditions (climate, soil, wine market) are not ideal.
In North Carolina, wineries are embracing
creativity and artisanal style.
Raffaldini Vineyards, in the Yadkin Valley, specializes in Italian grape
varieties. For some of its wines, it uses the appassimento, drying the grapes
before fermentation. The raisinated grapes provide a wonderful depth of flavor.
Carolina Heritage Winery takes a creative
approach to be more sustainable. The local county doesn’t have a recycling
plan, so the winery uses new sustainable packaging options including
eye-catching paper wine bottles. The bottles use 94% recycled material.
Rather than trying to duplicate European
wines, winemaker Erik Martella is creating something entirely new. In southern
states, muscadine wines have traditionally been produced in a sweet style and
even contain added flavors. Martella is taking these grapes, which are
naturally disease-resistant and come in about 150 varieties, and applying fine
wine techniques. He uses carbonic maceration, aging on the lees or seeds, and
extended aging. His goal is to craft fine wines from these native grapes.
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| Chinese vineyard. |
Culturally dense products are a unique and important part of Patterson’s research. Wine is one such product, encapsulating a narrative of both the land and the people behind its creation. Patterson found this to be the case in China, a land with vast potential for wine production.
Formerly, Chinese wine consumers preferred
Bordeaux or Australian wines. In 2020, China placed an embargo on Australian
wines with a stiff tariff. The embargo was lifted in 2024, but this disruption
proved to be a boost for the Chinese wine industry, still in its infancy.
A growing number of Chinese winemakers have
graduated from foreign or domestic wine programs. This increased knowledge has
boosted the understanding of how to make quality wine. China has become an
innovator in the field. They are pushing innovation surrounding sustainability,
varieties, and winemaking techniques that bring in more consumers, especially
younger ones.
There is a growing middle class in China, and
through community engagement and adaptive marketing, the niche is being
successfully targeted. Chinese consumers are more aware and hungrier to
understand what role drinking wine as a hobby and social activity means to
them.
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Chinese wines are marketed to
a growing middle class. |
According to Patterson, emerging and
successful wine regions have an impact that reaches beyond your wine glass.
“The wine industry has the potential to transform rural areas quicker than any
other industry I’ve studied,” he said. It involves many socio-economic levels,
from the farmers to construction workers, winery staff, and ultimately the
consumer. The capital barrier for entry is low and there is a wide range of
consumers and investors.
He sees an inflection point coming, perhaps
triggered by the changing climate, where established regions will need to think
beyond rigid frameworks and embrace the creativity needed for their next stage
of growth.
Emerging winescapes like North Carolina can be
the future model for wine regions, said Patterson. “It’s a mix of tradition and
new. The region is trying to do it differently because it can’t do it like
everyone else.”
Most photos courtesy of Eric Patterson. Martella wine photo by Dave Nershi.
