The different representations of sparkling wine, convergences and divergences between designation in Brazil and France

Abstract

This study aims to understand the convergences and divergences between the social representations associated with the different terms used to designate sparkling wine in Brazil and in France. For this purpose, we carried a verbal association task to collect the social representation content in Brazil and France. It was word inductor in Brazil: sparkling wine, sparkling wine moscatel, cider, and Champagne. In France, sparkling wine, pétillant wine, crémant wine, and Champagne. There are common terms used to designate sparkling wine that still confuses consumers. The data was analyzed by ascending hierarchical cluster analysis and presented by a dendrogram. This method evidences the dissimilarity between inductors. The results present on a major cluster with all sparkling wines and another with the Brazilian inductor cider. After, we have also the Brazilian inductor moscatel separated, and show a close similarity between French inductors, Champagne and sparkling wine. Even with it being an exploratory research, the results show start to explain the convergences in the French context, due probably to the long history of these products. On the other side, in Brazil, the divergence, principally with cider and moscatel, that are recent in the Brazilian market, compared to sparkling wine and Champagne.