Italian market of organic wine: A survey on production system characteristics and marketing strategies

In 2012 the European Commission approved Regulation (EU) No 203/2012 which allows the use of the term organic wine for those products respecting specific requirements and presenting the Organic Certification. Before this Regulation it was only possible to use the wording “wine made from organic grapes”. This study aims at illustrating the main characteristics of organic wine sector in Italy before this Regulation, taking into account also biodynamic and similar environmentally-oriented productions. An explorative web survey composed by a questionnaire with four sections (firm’s structure, marketing and communication strategies, interviewers’ perceptions and entrepreneur’s personal data) was administered to a sample of wineries during summer 2011. In order to perform a Cluster Analysis there have been selected three clustering variables (Marketing Mix, Certification and Product characteristics) and there have been identified four clusters (C1, C2, C3 and C4). As main conclusion it is possible to state that ethical reasons and qualitative aspects lead companies to adopt organic/biodynamic production. As regards promotional aspects, the main results of the survey concern the high fairs adoption rate as well as wine tasting and guided tours while it emerges a very low use of internet adoption as promotional tool.