Journal of Wine Economics
Vol. 6, Issue 1, Pages 1-14
November 1, 2011
Abstract
We examine the value of terroir, which refers to the special characteristics of a place that
impart unique qualities to the wine produced. We do this by conducting a hedonic analysis
of vineyard sales in the Willamette Valley of Oregon to ascertain whether site attributes, such
as slope, aspect, elevation, and soil types, or designated appellations are more important
determinants of price. We ?nd that prices are strongly determined by sub-AVA appellation
designations, but not by speci?c site attributes. These results indicate that the concept of
terroir matters economically, although the reality of terroir – as proxied for by locational
attributes – is not signi?cant. (
Citation
Stavins, Robert N. "The Value of Terroir: Hedonic Estimation of Vineyard Sale Prices." Journal of Wine Economics 6.1 (November 1, 2011): 1-14.