The artification of wine: lessons from the fine wines of Bordeaux and Burgundy

Purpose In this paper, the authors argue that fine wines can be considered art and as such can be awarded luxury status. The authors discuss the processes of artification, through which such wines are recognized as art (Shapiro and Heinich, 2012), and heritagization, in which the cultural differentiation implicit in the concept of terroir (the various elements of a microclimate that contribute to a wine's specific attributes) connects a wine to its history and provenance. The investigation focuses specifically on fine wines from Bordeaux and Burgundy, which are renowned worldwide for their depth and flavors. What traits are intrinsic to the definition of art, and what social processes culminate in transforming an entity from nonart to art? Design/methodology/approach It is a conceptual paper that requires blending several viewpoints to present the authors’ own viewpoints. Findings This study aims to address the above questions and argues that fine wines, as a source of aesthetic pleasure, are themselves an art form. Research limitations/implications The implications for producers of fine wines and other artisanal products seeking to elevate brand awareness are discussed. Practical implications The findings of this study are of interest to wine scholars as well as wineries. They provide evidence as to how artification occurs. Originality/value While there are papers that address the issue of artification and heritagization individually, the authors bring to bear the importance of both concepts on specific wine regions in France: Burgundy and Bordeaux.