The “right” wine taster

Purpose The theory of emergent nature argues that the “right” people have a unique ability to imagine and envision how products might be developed so that they can be successful in the marketplace. The purpose of this paper is to apply this theory to the wine market to evaluate the ability of wine tasters with the “right” profile (i.e. high in emergent nature) to identify benefits applicable to the development of a new wine. Design/methodology/approach Two sequential studies were performed to collect data: a qualitative study of a sample of 44 professional wine tasters to identify the “right” profile and a quantitative study, with a sample of 1,126 consumers, to assess the value of the benefits proposed by the wine tasters in terms of purchase intention. The validation of the measurement model was carried out using the variance-based partial least squares (PLS) technique. Findings Two types of wine tasters were identified, normal and “right”. The “right” wine tasters were more and better able to develop arguments for the innovation and market orientation of the wine. Practical implications In the context of the wine market, identifying expert wine tasters with the “right” profile is a strategic option to improve innovation and market orientation in the development of commercially viable wines. Originality/value This pioneering research validates, in the wine market, a proven methodology used in other markets, which makes it possible to identify expert wine tasters high in emergent nature. These “right” expert tasters identify benefits that can have a decisive effect on purchase intention.