Scotia Wine Analysis
In his article, Pellechia briefly introduces a various number of aspects that contribute to wine and how it is present in our world today. One of the main themes that is present throughout the article is how wine has been modernized over time to compete in the globalized world that we live in today. Wine is a unique commodity in that throughout history and even today it has been and still is held to a certain standard of luxury. The production of wine is seen as an artistry of sorts. It’s production, although not overly complex process, is held to a certain quality of standard. This presents a problem in that the signature of being in a modern, industrialized world is factors such as: mass production, efficiency, and a lower cost of production.
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The rise of modernity in general has lead to production outsourcing of many global commodities. Large companies such as multinational corporations many times start producing a good that is already being produced locally, but since they have a wider access to things such as machinery and advanced technology they can produce things faster and cheaper. Therefore, they can sell these products in the local and global markets for cheaper that the local, smaller companies can. Wine production is no exception to this development. This causes problems to arise in that winemaking is not seen as a simple process, rather it is regarded as a process that requires skill and artistry. Many wine producers still follow this way of production but in a world that is dominated by companies that produce things in a modern mindset, wine is beginning to fall victim to the standardization of mass production and major name brands. Many people view this rise of modernity in the wine sector as bad. Mass produced wine is often viewed as being cheaply made and lacking in the qualities that makes wine such a unique commodity. However, “technological advances in freight equipment, a reduction in shipping time and lower packaging costs have made it easier and more cost effective to transport better quality wines, including regional and single vineyard labels” (Pellechia). Factors such as these point to a positive step towards modernity in the wine business. Though this is a step towards globalization and modernity is viewed as a positive thing, many wine producers and enthusiasts argue that the rise of modernity in the wine sector is the worst thing that can happen to the industry. Wine production is not viewed as a homogeneous sector, but rather a sector that has many variations. Therefore, these pushes to modernize and globalize wine undermines the whole complex process that gives wine its value. In terms of globalization, Pellechia takes a fairly neutral stance on whether or not it needs to be homogenized or if the unique processes needs to be kept, but also refined further to keep up with the developing global market the rest of the world’s commodities are competing in. Arguments can easily be made toward either side, in the end it all comes down to what you place value in to determine which course of action should be taken. On one hand, it can be argued that in order to properly globalize the wine industry, measures should be taken towards modernization and homogeneity. There has been a recent push to mass produce wine and to “standardize” wine therefore ridding the sector of complex wines that vary in taste depending on things such as year, grape type, and province or country of production (Schirmer 2). Those who advocate for this way of production seek to make it a simpler commodity. It is especially prominent in the New World producers who are essentially trying to outsource the producers who still follow the Old World regime. They seek to make the product more consumer friendly so that even if you only have a basic knowledge of wine, you can still easily buy a quality wine without all the complications of knowing specifics. For example, things like that in 1987 the red grapes used to make Pinot Noir wine in the Burgundy region in Eastern France experienced a bad crop, therefore buying wine from that year would not be as up to par as say the next years crop. Unless they had a wide knowledge of wine specifics, the average consumer would not know these things. So the goal that those who push for uniformity in wine production are trying to achieve, is a way to appeal to the average consumer in order to increase consumption and in turn make a larger profit. On the other hand, there is the argument that there is no need to majorly industrialize wine production, because by doing so you would lose much of the uniqueness that makes wine such a luxurious and sought after good. By simplifying wine types and paving the way for major corporations to prosper in the trade, this in turn will serve to run many small and middle grade wine producers out of business. The production of wine is a delicate art form that requires attention to detail to produce a quality product. The problem with globalizing the wine trade can be traced to what some may argued to be the main problem of globalization in general. Which is that by letting big corporations take over you lose the culture and originality that comes along with companies that are not multinational. These producers care little about the quality of their product and its originality and care more about how much money they are making or stand to make. Their is a solution to this however, a middle grounds of sorts. Which is that even though there are many mass produced wines that are marketable to the average consumer, those same consumers who start drinking these simple wines will most likely evolve to where they want to branch out and consume more complex wines which leaves the market open for smaller local producers to still profit and even thrive (Anderson 18). Those who value the variation of culture you can experience from things such as the many different heterogeneous wines you can get from all over the globe tend to side with the second course of action. However, those who are willing to sacrifice the differences that come along with different cultures for uniformity in order to make a larger profit will favor the first course of action. Wine has impacted the world today in a number of various ways. The first way that it has helped shape the world, is that it has a very prominent presence in many cultures. In these cultures it was used for a variety of purposes. One major cultural aspect that wine played a role in historically and even presently plays a role in is religion. Another, is that wine has helped contribute to the hierarchical distinctions that have been present since early civilizations were brought about by the neolithic revolution. Because wine was originally scarce it was deemed to be a food for only the most elite of many ancient and middle age societies. As a result of this, only the most elite class and priests had access to wine (Charters 178). As it became a more accessible commodity, the higher ups in societies had to adapt how wine made its consumers more elite than others. This brought about the modern way of how expensive and desirable a wine is based on things as how good it tastes and how hard or long it takes to make a specific wine. In religion wine was used as a symbol for things such as life, death, and even fertility. It was also used in christian parables and greek and roman myths. Wine has also had a large impact on the world in an economic sense. In the past and now, wine has served to boost the economies that it is a main export in. Countries such as France have a heavy economic link to wine and wine production. Though they are a major producer, wine also plays a role economically in countries such as Italy, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, and The United States. Though Pellechia takes a fairly neutral stance when presenting that wine is in fact a global commodity, there is still a slight underlying bias that the reader can detect.
The bias is that though wine is a global commodity, overall it still has a certain romantic quality to it. This comes from how it is viewed more of as a process of artistry than just simple production of a good. In the vineyards that do not mass produce their wine, the final good which they put to market is many times more unique than its counterpart. These wine producers do not have any certain recipe to get a particular taste, however it is more of a trial and error process until they refine their crop to their fullest potential. Pellechia seems to recognize this and projects this bias into his article. He is telling his reader that though wine is a global commodity that has impacted and continues to impact various aspects of the world, it is not a global commodity in the traditional sense. It has not yet been homogenized like so many other products have. When presenting the issue of how wine is a commodity Pellechia’s output is positive but it also has underlying foreboding not because of what a completely industrialized and globalized wine sector would
mean. Throughout history, wine has played a role in the world through a various number of ways. At its origins it was seen to be a work of magic, but as humans evolved and increased their knowledge they began to understand and use wine in a wider sense. It continued to change and was used to represent aspects of religion. It was also ingrained in culture through celebration and its place in the social hierarchies that were present. It has impacted the economies of which it is and was a commodity in a positive way. Wine is a global commodity in that is has had these impacts over a global span. However, it is not a global commodity in the way that most products are. It is not a trade in which the industrialized world has taken over. Though there are many countries and companies that mass produce wine, it still has continued to be produced as a specialized artisan craft and not as simply another good that major corporations can mass market and homogenize to increase their profits.
The rise of modernity in general has lead to production outsourcing of many global commodities. Large companies such as multinational corporations many times start producing a good that is already being produced locally, but since they have a wider access to things such as machinery and advanced technology they can produce things faster and cheaper. Therefore, they can sell these products in the local and global markets for cheaper that the local, smaller companies can. Wine production is no exception to this development. This causes problems to arise in that winemaking is not seen as a simple process, rather it is regarded as a process that requires skill and artistry. Many wine producers still follow this way of production but in a world that is dominated by companies that produce things in a modern mindset, wine is beginning to fall victim to the standardization of mass production and major name brands. Many people view this rise of modernity in the wine sector as bad. Mass produced wine is often viewed as being cheaply made and lacking in the qualities that makes wine such a unique commodity. However, “technological advances in freight equipment, a reduction in shipping time and lower packaging costs have made it easier and more cost effective to transport better quality wines, including regional and single vineyard labels” (Pellechia). Factors such as these point to a positive step towards modernity in the wine business. Though this is a step towards globalization and modernity is viewed as a positive thing, many wine producers and enthusiasts argue that the rise of modernity in the wine sector is the worst thing that can happen to the industry. Wine production is not viewed as a homogeneous sector, but rather a sector that has many variations. Therefore, these pushes to modernize and globalize wine undermines the whole complex process that gives wine its value. In terms of globalization, Pellechia takes a fairly neutral stance on whether or not it needs to be homogenized or if the unique processes needs to be kept, but also refined further to keep up with the developing global market the rest of the world’s commodities are competing in. Arguments can easily be made toward either side, in the end it all comes down to what you place value in to determine which course of action should be taken. On one hand, it can be argued that in order to properly globalize the wine industry, measures should be taken towards modernization and homogeneity. There has been a recent push to mass produce wine and to “standardize” wine therefore ridding the sector of complex wines that vary in taste depending on things such as year, grape type, and province or country of production (Schirmer 2). Those who advocate for this way of production seek to make it a simpler commodity. It is especially prominent in the New World producers who are essentially trying to outsource the producers who still follow the Old World regime. They seek to make the product more consumer friendly so that even if you only have a basic knowledge of wine, you can still easily buy a quality wine without all the complications of knowing specifics. For example, things like that in 1987 the red grapes used to make Pinot Noir wine in the Burgundy region in Eastern France experienced a bad crop, therefore buying wine from that year would not be as up to par as say the next years crop. Unless they had a wide knowledge of wine specifics, the average consumer would not know these things. So the goal that those who push for uniformity in wine production are trying to achieve, is a way to appeal to the average consumer in order to increase consumption and in turn make a larger profit. On the other hand, there is the argument that there is no need to majorly industrialize wine production, because by doing so you would lose much of the uniqueness that makes wine such a luxurious and sought after good. By simplifying wine types and paving the way for major corporations to prosper in the trade, this in turn will serve to run many small and middle grade wine producers out of business. The production of wine is a delicate art form that requires attention to detail to produce a quality product. The problem with globalizing the wine trade can be traced to what some may argued to be the main problem of globalization in general. Which is that by letting big corporations take over you lose the culture and originality that comes along with companies that are not multinational. These producers care little about the quality of their product and its originality and care more about how much money they are making or stand to make. Their is a solution to this however, a middle grounds of sorts. Which is that even though there are many mass produced wines that are marketable to the average consumer, those same consumers who start drinking these simple wines will most likely evolve to where they want to branch out and consume more complex wines which leaves the market open for smaller local producers to still profit and even thrive (Anderson 18). Those who value the variation of culture you can experience from things such as the many different heterogeneous wines you can get from all over the globe tend to side with the second course of action. However, those who are willing to sacrifice the differences that come along with different cultures for uniformity in order to make a larger profit will favor the first course of action. Wine has impacted the world today in a number of various ways. The first way that it has helped shape the world, is that it has a very prominent presence in many cultures. In these cultures it was used for a variety of purposes. One major cultural aspect that wine played a role in historically and even presently plays a role in is religion. Another, is that wine has helped contribute to the hierarchical distinctions that have been present since early civilizations were brought about by the neolithic revolution. Because wine was originally scarce it was deemed to be a food for only the most elite of many ancient and middle age societies. As a result of this, only the most elite class and priests had access to wine (Charters 178). As it became a more accessible commodity, the higher ups in societies had to adapt how wine made its consumers more elite than others. This brought about the modern way of how expensive and desirable a wine is based on things as how good it tastes and how hard or long it takes to make a specific wine. In religion wine was used as a symbol for things such as life, death, and even fertility. It was also used in christian parables and greek and roman myths. Wine has also had a large impact on the world in an economic sense. In the past and now, wine has served to boost the economies that it is a main export in. Countries such as France have a heavy economic link to wine and wine production. Though they are a major producer, wine also plays a role economically in countries such as Italy, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, and The United States. Though Pellechia takes a fairly neutral stance when presenting that wine is in fact a global commodity, there is still a slight underlying bias that the reader can detect.
The bias is that though wine is a global commodity, overall it still has a certain romantic quality to it. This comes from how it is viewed more of as a process of artistry than just simple production of a good. In the vineyards that do not mass produce their wine, the final good which they put to market is many times more unique than its counterpart. These wine producers do not have any certain recipe to get a particular taste, however it is more of a trial and error process until they refine their crop to their fullest potential. Pellechia seems to recognize this and projects this bias into his article. He is telling his reader that though wine is a global commodity that has impacted and continues to impact various aspects of the world, it is not a global commodity in the traditional sense. It has not yet been homogenized like so many other products have. When presenting the issue of how wine is a commodity Pellechia’s output is positive but it also has underlying foreboding not because of what a completely industrialized and globalized wine sector would
mean. Throughout history, wine has played a role in the world through a various number of ways. At its origins it was seen to be a work of magic, but as humans evolved and increased their knowledge they began to understand and use wine in a wider sense. It continued to change and was used to represent aspects of religion. It was also ingrained in culture through celebration and its place in the social hierarchies that were present. It has impacted the economies of which it is and was a commodity in a positive way. Wine is a global commodity in that is has had these impacts over a global span. However, it is not a global commodity in the way that most products are. It is not a trade in which the industrialized world has taken over. Though there are many countries and companies that mass produce wine, it still has continued to be produced as a specialized artisan craft and not as simply another good that major corporations can mass market and homogenize to increase their profits.