The quality of the Argentinean Malbec and the weather in the Mendoza region

Abstract

Purpose The climate in Mendoza is significantly different from the climate in most global wine-making regions. This paper aims to explore the relationship between the quality of the Malbec wine from the Mendoza region and its weather. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a multivariate regression model with fixed effects to assess how weather variations relate to wine quality. The Wine Spectator ratings are used as a measure of wine quality and to build a longitudinal data set of Malbec wine ratings from 1995 to 2020. The weather is described with several variables based on temperature, rainfall, humidity and cloudiness data from the Mendoza region. The model controls for wineries which are treated as fixed effects. Findings The results of this study indicate that the weather has a modest explanatory power when it comes to the quality of Mendoza’s Malbec. Additionally, the analyses show that the wineries are more important than the weather to explain quality differences in the wines. These findings are in agreement with previous studies carried out in regions with stable weather such as California and Australia. Practical implications The quality of Mendoza’s Malbec depends more on the winery of origin than the year-to-year weather variations. Therefore, consumers should focus more on the winery and less on the vintage when making purchasing decisions. Additionally, given the relevance of the winery in relation to quality, the findings of this study indicate that future research efforts should focus on directly linking the wine ratings to quality-drivers behind the winery effects. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that explores the relationship between wine quality assessed through wine ratings and the weather in the Mendoza (Argentina) region. Most such studies have been done in connection with northern hemisphere wines.