Sunday, May 15, 2011

FALSE LABEL CLAIMS ABOUT HIGH AND RISING ALCOHOL CONTENT OF WINE

Splendide Mendax:
False Label Claims about High and 
Rising Alcohol Content of Wine
Julian M. Alston, Kate B. Fuller, James T. Lapsley, 
George Soleas, and Kabir P. Tumber

Splendide mendax: Nobly untruthful; untrue for a good object

ABSTRACT. Many economists and others are interested in the phenomenon of 
rising alcohol content of wine and its potential causes.  Has the alcohol content of 
wine risen—and if so, by how much, where, and when?  What roles have been 
played by climate change and other environmental factors compared with 
evolving consumer preferences and expert ratings?  In this paper we explore these 
questions using international evidence, combining time-series data on the alcohol 
content of wine from a large number of countries that experienced different 
patterns of climate change and influences of policy and demand shifts.  We also 
examine the relationship between  the  actual alcohol content of wine and the 
alcohol content stated on the label.  The systematic patterns here suggest that 
rising alcohol content of wine may be a nuisance by-product of producer 
responses to perceived market preferences for wines having riper,  more-intense 
flavours, possibly in conjunction with evolving climate.




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