Are Official Certifications a Relevant Aspect in the Consumption of Natural Wines? A Prospective Study Among Spanish Producers/Consumers

Abstract

PURPOSE: Spain is leader in the world ranking of surface vineyards of ecological production, with almost 27% of world production. Consumers are demanding for more information about these sustainable practices and the official certificates can be a good option to help them. In the case of natural wines, four certifications can be used in the packaging of wines to inform consumers that they are acquiring natural wine: i) certified organic winery by the EU; ii) certified biodynamic winery by Demeter; iii) certified organic (EU) and biodynamic (Demeter) winery; iv) certified by the National Institute of Origins and Quality (INAO) as ‘vin méthode nature’ (natural method wine) with two logos (natural method without added sulphites and natural method with less than 30 mg/l added sulphites). To obtain the results we have conducted a pilot study with a sample of 358 Spanish consumers of wine divided by experts and non-experts. RESULTS: The results have confirmed there is a tendency in food-related on labelling in recent years to be focused on sustainability labelling and certification. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: The research has given us an idea about the importance of sustainability for consumers of natural wine and if an official certificate is a necessary question for them in the decision-making process. Thus, labelling certifications may increase the information for the consumers and could also be an opportunity to generate an increased level of credibility in natural wines, "the great unknown".

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“…Consumers may feel reassured by certifications like USDA Organic, Non-GMO Project Verified, and Clean Label Project that goods fulfil strict requirements for processing, sourcing, and ingredient quality. As manufacturers take advantage of consumers' perceptions of the healthfulness and transparency of their products, clean label promises have emerged as a central theme in product marketing and branding tactics [50].…”