Online wine ecosystem: the digital narrative of Sangiovese

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate how grape varieties are narrated online by non-winery-owned sources in four countries: Australia, Canada the UK and the USA. This study focuses on Sangiovese, the most important varietal of Italy. Design/methodology/approach: Texts collected on the Internet underwent a software-assisted semantic clustering procedure based on text-mining techniques. Identified clusters were then qualitatively analyzed by content. Findings: The digital narrative on Sangiovese is mainly technical and conveyed by adopting a professional slant that is suitable for knowledgeable consumers but less effective for common and unexperienced wine drinkers. Online information is concentrated in few websites that act as information gatekeepers. Research limitations/implications: The study contributes to the wine-related managerial literature on grape varieties, which are considered one of the most powerful factors in addressing consumer wine choice. Additionally, the investigation sheds light on the online wine ecosystem, by providing insights on how information is provided and the contents that are conveyed on the Internet. The findings of this study may be useful for Italian operators willing to promote Sangiovese-based wines in foreign markets. Originality/value: Though explorative in nature, this study represents one of the first attempts to investigate the online narrative of grape varieties by presenting a marketing perspective and examining the characteristics of non-winery-owned online information which may shape wine consumers’ behavior.