The GWC International Research Grant awarded two exceptional projects, each receiving a grant worth €7,500, to applicants who demonstrated outstanding academic research with significant practical implications in the field of wine tourism.
P. Sharma Bhargava
Palbi Sharma Bhargava, a doctoral student at the University of British Columbia is a trained cultural anthropologist whose work focuses on wine tourism. Palbi’s work explores wine tourism in the sociocultural spaces of the Okanagan Valley, Canada, and the United States. She has conducted research using an interdisciplinary lens on a variety of areas such as mental health, tourism, and food and wine in Canada, Greece and through virtual forums. Palbi aims to take academic knowledge and apply it to real-world situations to work towards improving the food and wine tourism sectors across the board whether it be in areas such as marketing or improving working conditions.
Her GWC project titled, “Find Us in the Vines: An Ethnographic Account of the Role and Influence of Diaspora in the Okanagan and Napa Valley Wine Tourism Industries”, is a comparative study between two prominent wine tourism areas in North America, Napa Valley, United States and Okanagan Valley, Canada. The dominant wine narratives in both regions exclude Black, Indigenous, People of Colour (BIPOC) and diasporic communities who have and continue to help build, reinforce, and diversify the wine regions.
Claire Lamoureux
The second winner, Claire Lamoureux, from Kedge Business School, Bordeaux, France, presented “Servitization of wine production: is wine tourism creating value for independent wineries?” Claire, an accomplished scholar and professional in wine tourism and industry management, has been deeply engaged in wine-related studies and work across France since 2005. Her journey has taken her from Bordeaux to Burgundy, and from the Loire Valley to Auckland, New Zealand. A regular participant in French and international conferences, including those held in Greece and Canada, she has also contributed to numerous publications on wine tourism and industry management.
Her research delves into servitization theory in the context of wine production, specifically how wine tourism contributes to the value of independent wineries. Her study measures various factors, including product quality, service levels, winery facilities, marketing effectiveness, and customer experiences. Through case studies of award-winning wineries in France and Germany, Lamoureux assesses the impact of these variables on value creation and provides recommendations for wineries to enhance their offerings.
The Great Wine Capitals Global Network is delighted to support these promising research projects and looks forward to showcasing their findings at the GWC Annual General Meeting in October 2024, hosted in Verona, Italy.
To be eligible for the grant, applicants were required to focus on wine tourism research directly relevant to at least one of the Great Wine Capitals. The selection process involved an international jury, which carefully evaluated the research proposals.
The GWC Research Grant is an excellent opportunity for individuals who want to make a significant impact in the wine tourism industry by conducting innovative research that addresses industry needs and fosters collaboration among the prestigious wine capitals worldwide.
For more information about the Great Wine Capitals Global Network Research Grant, please visit International Research Grant – Great Wine Capitals
Download the official Press Release: Great Wine Capitals – Research Grant 2023 Recipients Announced
Updated: November 11, 2023