Rationale for Specialising in Pinot Noir in the Okanagan Valley, Canada
Vincent Fournier
This paper is based on anthropological research conducted in the Okanagan Valley in 2017-2018. The Okanagan Valley is situated in the interior of British Columbia, Canada. Although grape production dates to the beginning of the 20th century and the first wineries opened in the late 1920s, the current industry really began after 1988, growing from 12 to 214 wineries between 1988 and 2020. Since the industry’s inception, foreign winemakers have played a key role in spreading knowledge. New Zealand, Australia, France, the United States, Germany and Switzerland are the main sources of influence in viticulture and oenology. In the global marketplace, developing a brand identity can help wine regions differentiate themselves. An explicit feature of this wine industry is its diversity, characterised by a wide range of grape varieties and wine styles, reflecting the different climates and geographies within the region, and its cool climate. In its northern sub-regions, an association with Pinot Noir is emerging. The Okanagan is an interesting case to analyse the emergence of such association. This specialisation is primarily explained by the fit between Pinot Noir and certain sub-regions of the Okanagan. What also explains this specialisation is the market demand for the variety. Wineries are therefore developing a commercial positioning and brand identity around Pinot Noir. Another factor behind the emergence of this variety is the personal preference of the owners and winemakers, who themselves are developing a professional identity associated with Pinot Noir.
Vincent Fournier holds a PhD in Anthropology from the University of Montreal. His thesis was on the production and marketing of wine in Ciro Marina, Calabria, in the context of globalisation. He improvised as a marketing specialist and started a consulting activity in ethnographic marketing. This led him to join an advertising agency, where he became director of Z.A. Prospecta. At the same time, he and his brother created a website dedicated to wine (www.sommeliervirtuel.com) and became semi-professional wine writers. This experience and expertise led him to be hired in 2010 as a professor at the Département de communication sociale et publique at the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), where he teaches anthropological approaches to communication, advertising and the ethnography of consumption. He undertook anthropological fieldwork in the Okanagan Valley in 2017-2018, from which he is currently completing a book. He has 800 bottles in his basement. His latest publication: Fournier, V. 2004. “In search of tradition: A comparative analysis of wine production in Calabria (Italy) and British Columbia (Canada)”, Anthropology of food [Online]. Varia articles: 2008-2024.
URL: http://journals.openedition.org/aof/14780; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4000/126rh