Psychographic characteristics of weekend wine tourists : a multiple case study of four wineries in the Niagara Region

The purpose of this study is to examine the psychographic (product attributes, motivation opinions, interest, lifestyle, values) characteristics of wine tourists along the Niagara wine r,~ute, located in Ontario, Canada, using a multiple case study method. Four wineries were selected, two wineries each on the East, and West sides of the wine route during the shoulder-season (January, February, 2004). Using a computer generated survey technique, tourists were approached to fill out a questionnaire on one of the available laptop computers, where a sample ofN=321 was obtained. The study findings revealed that there are three distinct wine tourist segments in the Niagara region. The segments were determined using an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and a K-means cluster analysis: Wine Lovers, Wine Interested, and Wine Curious wine tourists. These three segments displayed significant differences in their, motivation for visiting a winery, lifestyles, values, and wine purchasing behaviour. This study also examined differences between winery locations, on the East and West sides of the Niagara wine route, with respect to the aforementioned variables. The results indicated that there were significant differences between the regions with respect to these variables. The findings suggest that these differences present opportunities for more effective marketing strategies based on the uniqueness of each region. The results of this study provide insight for academia into a method of psychographic market segmentation of wine tourists and consumer behaviour. This study also contributes to the literature on wine tourism, and the identification of psychographic characteristics of wine tourists, an area where little research has taken place.

The impact of wine closure and packaging type, and light and temperature exposure on the concentration of 3-alkyl-2 -methoxypyrazines and other key constituents of wine

3-alkyl-2-methoxypyrazines (MPs) are grape- and insect-derived odor-active compounds responsible for vegetative percepts that are detrimental to wine quality when elevated. This study tested both the effect of closure/packaging types and light/temperature storage conditions on MPs (isopropyl-, secbutyl-, and isobutyl-MP) in wine. An MP-emiched wine rapidly (after 140 hours) and significantly decreased in MP concentration after natural and synthetic cork contact (immersion of closures in wine). This decrease was greatest with synthetic closures (70% - 89% reduction) and secbutyl-MP. Subsequently storage trials tested the effects of commercial closure/packaging options (natural cork, agglomerate cork, synthetic corks, screwcaps and TetraPak® cartons) on MPs in MP-emiched Riesling and Cabernet Franc over 18 months. Regardless of packaging, isobutyl-MP was the most altered from bottling. Notably, all MP levels tended to decrease to the greatest extent in TetraPak® cartons (~34% for all MPs) and there was evidence of contribution ofisoproyl- and secbutyl-MP from cork-based closures (i.e. ~30% increase in secbutyl-MP after 6 months) or from an unidentified wine constituent. To test the effects of various light/temperature conditions (light exposed at ambient temperature in three different bottle hues, light excluded at ambient temperature and light excluded at a "cellar" temperature (14°C)), MP-emiched Riesling and Cabernet Franc were also analyzed for MP concentrations over 12 months. MPs did not vary consistently with light or temperature. Other odorants and physico-chemical properties were tested in all wines during storage trials and closely agree with previous literature. These results provide novel insights into MPs during ageing, interactions with packaging and storage conditions, and assist in the selection of storage conditions/packaging for optimal wine quality.

Manufacturing 'authenticity' : a case study of the Niagara wine cluster

In this thesis, I use "Fabricating Authenticity," a model developed in the Production of Culture Perspective, to explore the evolving criteria for judging what constitute "real" and authentic Niagara wines, along with the naturalization of these criteria, as the Canadian Niagara wine cluster has come under increasing stress from globalization. Authenticity has been identified as a hallmark of contemporary marketing and important to cultural industries, which can use it for creating meaningful differentiation; making it a renewable resource for securing consumers, increasing market value; and for relationships with key brokers. This is important as free trade and international treaties are making traditional protective barriers, like trade tariffs and markups, obsolete and as governments increasingly allocate industry support via promotion and marketing policies that are directly linked to objectives of city and regional development, which in turn carry real implications for what gets to be judged authentic and inauthentic local culture. This research uses a mixed methods research strategy, drawing upon ethnographic observation, marketing materials, newspaper reports, and secondary data to provide insight into the processes and conflicts over efforts to fabricate authenticity, comparing the periods before and after the passage of NAFT A to the present period. The Niagara wine cluster is a good case in point because it has little natural advantage nor was there a tradition of quality table wine making to facilitate the naturalization of authenticity. Geographic industrial clusters have been found particularly competitive in the global economy and the exploratory case study contributes to our understanding of the dynamic of '1abricating authenticity," building on various theoretical propositions to attempt to derive explanations of how global processes affect strategies to create "authenticity," how these strategies affect cultural homogeneity and heterogeneity at the local level, and how the concept of "cluster" contributes to the process of managing authenticity.

Letter from the Secretary of War, to the Chairman of the Committee on Military Affairs, upon the subject of the defects existing in the present establishment

13th Cong., 3d sess. House. Doc. no. 12. October 27, 1814. Laid before the House by the Chairman of the Committee and ordered to be printed.

Letter from the Secretary of War, transmitting documents containing the information required by the resolution of Mr. Wright, on the 22d inst. relative to the execution of the act fixing the military peace establishment

14th Congress, 1st session, 1815-1816. House. Document no. 33. January 27, 1816. Read and referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.

Delineation of within-site terroir effects using soil and vine water measurements in Riesling vineyards within the Niagara Peninsula

The major focus of this dissertation was to explain terroir effects that impact wine varietal character and to elucidate potential determinants of terroir by testing vine water status (VWS) as the major factor of the terroir effect. It was hypothesized that consistent water status zones could be identified within vineyard sites, and, that differences in vine performance, fruit composition and wine sensory attributes could be related to VWS. To test this hypothesis, ten commercial Riesling vineyards representative of each Vintners Quality Alliance sub-appellation were selected. Vineyards were delineated using global positioning systems and 75 to 80 sentinel vines per vineyard were geo-referenced for data collection. During the 2005 to 2007 growing seasons, VWS measurements [midday leaf water potential ('l')] were collected from a subset of these sentinel vines. Data were collected on soil texture and composition, soil moisture, vine performance (yield components, vine size) and fruit composition. These variables were mapped using global information system (GIS) software and relationships between them were elucidated. Vines were categorized into "low" and "high" water status regions within each vineyard block and replicate wines were made from each. Many geospatial patterns and relationships were spatially and temporally stable within vineyards. Leaf'l' was temporally stable within vineyards despite different weather conditions during each growing season. Generally, spatial relationships between 'l', soil moisture, vine size, berry weight and yield were stable from year to year. Leaf", impacted fruit composition in several vineyards. Through sorting tasks and multidimensional scaling, wines of similar VWS had similar sensory properties. Descriptive analysis further indicated that VWS impacted wine sensory profiles, with similar attributes being different for wines from different water status zones. Vineyard designation had an effect on wine profiles, with certain sensory and chemical attributes being associated from different subappellations. However, wines were generally grouped in terms of their regional designation ('Lakeshore', 'Bench', 'Plains') within the Niagara Peninsula. Through multivariate analyses, specific sensory attributes, viticulture and chemical variables were associated with wines of different VWS. Vine water status was a major contributor to the terroir effect, as it had a major impact on vine size, berry weight and wine sensory characteristics.

Barnes Wines: Canada’s Oldest Winery flyer. n.d.

In 1873 George Barnes, Andrew Skinner, James Skinner, John Young Reid, Charles Robert Murray, George Magan, Thomas Barnes and Robert Duncan applied for, and received a charter for a commercial winery which would be called The Ontario Grape Growing and Wine Manufacturing Company Limited. It opened in 1894 and became known as Barnes Wines Limited. In 1973 the company completed a merger with Reckitt and Coleman (Canada) Limited. The winery operated until 1988 and was located on the banks of the old Welland Canal in St. Catharines, Ontario. The company produced a complete line of table wines, dessert wines, sherries, ports, and both crackling and sparkling wines. Barnes Wines called itself “Canada’s oldest winery” at the time of the printing of this flyer.

Unveiling the Influence of Consumer Wine Appreciation Dimension on Purchasing Behavior

Consumption values and different usage situations have received extensive interest from scholars; however, there is a lack of understanding regarding how these two constructs interact when it comes to the purchase decisions of consumers. This study examines the relationship between consumption values, consumption situations, and consumers’ purchasing decisions in terms of their willingness to pay and the purchase quantity. First of all, my model proposes that all four consumption values and different situations have a positive effect on consumers’ willingness to pay as well as the quantity they purchase. It also proposes that varying usage situations moderate the effect of consumption values on consumers’ purchasing decisions. In my conceptual model, I have also integrated the epistemic and conditional values where there is a gap in the existing literature. Prior literature has isolated the consumption values when studying how they affect consumer behavior and has not examined how consumption situations moderate the relationship between consumption values and purchasing decisions. Also, the existing literature has mostly focused on how consumption values affect purchase intentions, brand loyalty, or satisfaction, whereas my study focuses on purchasing decisions. For my study, the participants were randomly chosen from the general wine consumer population and the age range was between 20 and 75, which included 83 male respondents and 119 female respondents. The data received from my respondents support my hypotheses for the model. In my final chapter, I discuss the theoretical and managerial implications as well as suggestions for future research.

History and Theorizing: The Case of Winemaking in the Ontario Wine Industry

Despite the fact that theorization has been established as an important social mechanism in a variety of contexts, little research has explicated how this process works. I argue that theorization entails strategic constructions of history, or rhetorical history, in order to persuade audiences of legitimacy. I examine the role that history plays in actors’ theorizations of the Ontario wine industry as world class. By conducting a rhetorical analysis of the newsletters and websites of Ontario wineries, I find that various themes of history are routinely employed to re-theorize the industry as one that produces world class wines. In general, the findings suggest that the narratives of Ontario wineries tap into global repertoires of fine wine to portray the continuity of current practices with those of Old World winemaking. In addition, wineries sometimes tap into local histories to convey a sense of uniqueness, but they also obscure the history of poor winemaking in the region.

Barnes Wines Fonds

4 Minute Books dated: 1880, 1892, 1901, 1934, 1948-1950, 1952-1953, 1955, 1958, 1962 – 1975, 1981, 1984, 1986; 3 Common stock books dated: 1934-1935, 1937-1941, 1946, 1948-1950, 1955-1956, 1958, 1961-1974, 1981 and 2 Class A stock books dated:1948 - 1951

Innovation and adaptation in the Ontario grape and wine industry: An integrated, transdisciplinary response to climate change

With scientific consensus supporting a 4oC increase in global mean temperature over the next century and increased frequency of severe weather events, adaptation to climate change is critical. Given the dynamic and complex nature of climate change, a transdisciplinary approach toward adaptation can create an environment that supports knowledge sharing and innovation, improving existing strategies and creating new ones. The Ontario wine industry provides a case study to illustrate the benefits of this approach. We describe the formation and work of the Ontario Grape and Wine Research Network within this context, and present some preliminary results to highlight the opportunities for innovation that will drive the successful adaption of the Ontario grape and wine industry.

The Terroir of Winter Hardiness: Investigation of Winter Hardiness, Water Metrics, and Yield of Riesling and Cabernet Franc in the Niagara Region Using Geomatic Technologies

Grapevine winter hardiness is a key factor in vineyard success in many cool climate wine regions. Winter hardiness may be governed by a myriad of factors in addition to extreme weather conditions – e.g. soil factors (texture, chemical composition, moisture, drainage), vine water status, and yield– that are unique to each site. It was hypothesized that winter hardiness would be influenced by certain terroir factors , specifically that vines with low water status [more negative leaf water potential (leaf ψ)] would be more winter hardy than vines with high water status (more positive leaf ψ). Twelve different vineyard blocks (six each of Riesling and Cabernet franc) throughout the Niagara Region in Ontario, Canada were chosen. Data were collected during the growing season (soil moisture, leaf ψ), at harvest (yield components, berry composition), and during the winter (bud LT50, bud survival). Interpolation and mapping of the variables was completed using ArcGIS 10.1 (ESRI, Redlands, CA) and statistical analyses (Pearson’s correlation, principal component analysis, multilinear regression) were performed using XLSTAT. Clear spatial trends were observed in each vineyard for soil moisture, leaf ψ, yield components, berry composition, and LT50. Both leaf ψ and berry weight could predict the LT50 value, with strong positive correlations being observed between LT50 and leaf ψ values in eight of the 12 vineyard blocks. In addition, vineyards in different appellations showed many similarities (Niagara Lakeshore, Lincoln Lakeshore, Four Mile Creek, Beamsville Bench). These results suggest that there is a spatial component to winter injury, as with other aspects of terroir, in the Niagara region.

Functional genomics of BAHD acyltransferases in different varieties of the wine grape, Vilis vinifera

The characteristic "foxy" aroma of Vilis labrusca Concord grapes is due in large part to methyl anthranilate, a volatile ester formed by the enzyme anthraniloyl- CoA:methanol anthraniloyltransferase (VIAMAT) of the superfamily of BARD acyltransferases. The publication of the genome ofthe closely related wine grape Vilis vinifera, which does not accumulate methyl anthranilate, permitted the searching for any putative VlAU4T-like genes, with the result of 5 highly homologous candidates being found, with one candidate sharing 95% identity to VlAU4T. Probing the gene expression of 18 different cultivars of V. vinifora ripe berries by RT -PCR showed that many varieties do indeed express VlAU4T-like genes. Subsequent cloning of the full-length open reading frame of one of these genes from eDNA prepared from the cultivar Sauvignon Blanc permitted preliminary biochemical characterization of the enzyme after heterologous expression in E. coli. It was determined that this alcohol acyltransferase (named VvsbAATl) catalyzes the formation of cis-3-hexenyl acetate, a "green-leaf' volatile. Although the cloned gene from Sauvignon Blanc had 95% identity at the amino acid level to VIAMAT, it displayed an altered substrate specificity and expression pattern. These results highlight the difficulty in predicting substrate specificity and function of enzymes through the basis of sequence homology, which is a common finding in the study of BARD acyltransferases. Also, the determination of function of VvsbAATl and other BARD acyltransferases in V. vinifera could be used as a genetic marker for certain aroma characteristics in grape breeding programs.

Assessing the adaptive capacity of the Ontario wine industry to climate change: A case study

The global wine industry is experiencing the impacts of climate change. Canada’s major wine sector, the Ontario Wine Industry (OWI) is no exception to this trend. Warmer winter and summer temperatures are affecting wine production. The industry needs to adapt to these challenges, but their capacity for this is unclear. To date, only a limited number of studies exist regarding the adaptive capacity of the wine industry to climate change. Accordingly, this study developed an adaptive capacity assessment framework for the wine industry. The OWI became the case study for the implementation of the assessment framework. Data was obtained by means of a questionnaire sent to grape growers, winemakers and supporting institutions in Ontario. The results indicated the OWI has adaptive capacity capabilities in financial, institutional, political, technological, perceptions, knowledge, diversity and social capital resources areas. Based on the OWI case study, this framework provides an effective means of assessing regional wine industries’ capacity to adapt to climate change.