Global Governance of Wine Quality Standards

Old World Wine and the Role of the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV)

Abstract

This research article is the first in a series of publications from the study titled “Global Governance of Wine Quality Standards.” The research aims to investigate the global governance processes of wine standards and the roles of various related actors. This first article focuses specifically on the governance of Old World wine, which is the origin of wine production knowledge, especially in Europe and particularly in France. It further examines how this has evolved into a global wine governance process, with the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV)—the largest and oldest international wine organization—as a key actor. The article discusses the OIV’s role through the four-step global governance process proposed by Thomas G. Weiss and Ramesh Thakur, which includes managing knowledge, developing norms, formulating and promulgating recommendations, and institutionalizing ideas. The findings indicate that the OIV has played a crucial role in establishing quality standards and maintaining uniformity in the European wine industry, impacting global perceptions of wine quality. However, with New World wines gaining greater market share and consumer expectations shifting, this research points to the need for Old World wine standards to adapt in order to maintain influence in an increasingly decentralized and reputation-driven global market. The concept of decentralized reputation-based global governance, which plays a critical role in the modern wine industry, will be discussed in detail in a forthcoming research paper.