PurposeThis 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/approachThe 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.FindingsThree 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/valueThis 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.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

In this research an alternative is proposed for viticulture producers that would allow them to maintain their income and prevent the abandonment of their agricultural activity. The proposed alternative is the production of organic wine with subsequent commercialization in the local market. The suitability of the alternative is measured by the acceptance of the product in local markets. This acceptance was determined through contingent valuation, which relates probability of purchase to willingness to pay (WTP). Since regional differences could exist for product acceptance, the preliminary hypothesis was formulated that the importance of the viticulture sector in the regional economy makes consumers value farm work more highly and pay more for sustainable agricultural practices. Two regions of Spain were taken into consideration because of the different weight of their agricultural activity: Castile-La Mancha and the Community of Valencia. A survey of 800 wine consumers was made (400 from each region) to determine WTP. From the results it was shown on the one hand that organizing organic wine in local markets can be a profitable alternative for wine producers and, on the other hand, consumers from regions where wine production shares a larger proportion of the regional economy are willing to pay more for organic wine.