Marketing Texas Wine: Determining the Who, What, and Where of a Growing Market

Abstract

The Texas wine industry has been growing dramatically since the 1970s with some wineries like Llano Estacado producing award winning wine and supplying wine to some of the nations’ dignitaries. Despite its accolades, most Texas wine is sold within its own state boundaries. With the California wine drought going to affect the quantity of wine produced, the state of Texas has an opportunity to market its product to current and new wine drinkers. This case provides a background on origin labeling and the wine industry, while providing potential marketing strategies the industry can use to increase revenues and improve image.

This case was prepared for inclusion in Sage Business Cases primarily as a basis for classroom discussion or self-study, and is not meant to illustrate either effective or ineffective management styles. Nothing herein shall be deemed to be an endorsement of any kind. This case is for scholarly, educational, or personal use only within your university, and cannot be forwarded outside the university or used for other commercial purposes.

2024 Sage Publications, Inc. All Rights Reserved

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Resources

Appendix 1: Supplemental Handout

Key Terms
  • Winery – an establishment where wine is made, but not necessarily where all wine grown nor bottled. Wineries can import grapes they did not grow but make the wine at the winery.
  • Varietal – (of a wine or grape) made from or belonging to a single specified variety of grape (dictionary.com). Example: Merlot is a varietal of grape belonging to the primary wine grape species vitis vinifera.
  • AVA – American Viticultrual Area; a designated wine grape growing region. The boundaries of the AVA are defined by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau.
  • Ethnocentrism – the belief in the inherent superiority of one’s own ethnic group or culture (Ethnocentrism, 2016).
Texas AVA Map

The eight American Viticultural Areas shown in the map are as follows:

Bell Mountain Viticultural Area

Texas Hill Country Viticultural Area

Fredericksburg in the Texas Hill Country Viticultural Area

Texas High Plains Viticultural Area

Texoma Viticultural Area

Davis Mountain Viticultural Area

Mesila Valley Viticultural Area

Escondido Valley Viticultural Area

These eight American Viticultural Areas are shown in different colors. Lubbock, El Paso, Fort Stockton, Fort Davis, Bell Mountain, Fredericksburg, San Antonio, Austin, Lampasas, Fort Worth, Dallas, Grapevine, and Denison are marked on the map with the help of dots.

An image shows a map of American Viticultural Areas in Texas.

Image provided by GOTEXANwine.org as part of the Texas Department of Agriculture (2016)

This case was prepared for inclusion in Sage Business Cases primarily as a basis for classroom discussion or self-study, and is not meant to illustrate either effective or ineffective management styles. Nothing herein shall be deemed to be an endorsement of any kind. This case is for scholarly, educational, or personal use only within your university, and cannot be forwarded outside the university or used for other commercial purposes.

2024 Sage Publications, Inc. All Rights Reserved

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