¿Cómo fue que el viñedo adquirió importancia? Significados de las vides, calidades de las uvas, y cambio socio-técnico en la producción vinícola de Mendoza

Abstract

According to those involved, Argentine wine has changed radically over the past few decades. Limiting itself to the Mendoza region, this paper wants to analyze some of the changes observed in vineyards from a socio-technical perspective. Following the way that the definition of quality is (re)constructed, a relationship is sought between vines and wine and the use of certain technologies. The paper shows how the dynamics between social groups and artifacts create different conceptions of quality, which in turn lead to a different role of grapes in the wine making process. It also shows that the changes observed do not necessarily imply a ‘new way’ has taken over an ‘old way’. It rather seems that different social groups are relevant in different technological frames, displacing others.