#5 The Winds of Reputation

In the Kingston Family case I was struck by how Chile developed a ‘reputation’ for commercial value wines; predictable and drinkable. When discussing the Bordeaux classification, the tension between the classification or ‘reputation’ versus the actual quality was evident throughout the case. It was interesting too, that Robert Mondavi sought to change the perception of Californian wines from large volume ‘bulk’ wines to makers of fine wines. When do you fight and when do you ride the winds that exist. How do you change reputation? One might argue that you change reputation through performance and quality. That it will ultimately be recognized, as it was in the 1976 Paris judgment. But then again, does the broader public know the difference between good and great wines? If opinions are swayed by perception, does quality even matter? So much of the class discussion centered around brand and authenticity. While the Paris judgment sought to equalize concepts of quality, today’s ease of launching a brand, suggests a trend towards perception. Who cares how good the wine is as long as everyone else can see the label.