Adapting online wine education to China: a two-study multimethod approach

What is it about?

◦Purpose Teaching wine tasting online is challenging, even given the curated digital tools of the Wine & Spirit Education Trust, a highly renowned online wine certification system is used. This paper initially explores wine experts’ opinions about online wine education and subsequently examines the feasibility of customizing wine appreciation lexicons to Chinese learners. ◦Design/methodology/approach A two-study multimethod approach was adopted. Study 1, a two-stage Delphi study, was conducted with seventeen wine experts representing a number of countries, using a mix of closed/open-ended questions in an online survey. Data was collected in a market study in Study 2, conducted at agricultural markets in Thailand (pilot test) and China. Dialogues with market sellers were undertaken, evoking mental imagery of wine descriptors to explore the relevance of traditional versus local aromas and flavors to describe wine. ◦Findings Findings concentrate on three main areas: general advantages/disadvantages of online wine education, reactions towards asynchronous/synchronous methods of wine tasting, and lastly, feasibility of customizing a wine appreciation lexicon for Chinese learners. ◦Originality The article presents novel insights into the role of online wine education in China.

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