Genre essay

1 June, 2017

Genre Analysis of an Article in the “Wine Spectator”

Kim Marcus writes an article for Wine Spectator Magazine that discusses the many wineries that people can visit in Santa Barbara County. The author’s main idea lis sharing how easily accessible the region is and the abundance of wineries that are located in the Santa Barbara area. She does this by the use of a map, and also gives the contact information in order to get wine tourists to the area. The article was published in Wine Spectator magazine in 2017. The author’s role is an expert in the wine industry, and her purpose is to attract more visitors to the area. Such magazines are read by an audience of tourists and visitors to the region, or those who might be interested to visit.

Using the DOCS model, I have determined that Kim Marcus successfully uses his article to inform his audience of the wineries in the Santa Barbara area although, he lacks detail in his content that could help give his audience a better view of the Central Coastal California wine environment. Some of the main features that help fulfil this genre’s purpose are a map, images, and an attractive layout.

Genre: Informative article

Title: Unknown

Author: Kim Marcus

Date: June 15th, 2017

Source: Wine Spectator

Target audience: Anyone who is interested in wine, from people who are on a budget to wealthy people who don’t mind spending more on wine. The website lists affordable bottles of wine for under 20 dollars to target the audience that may be in the lower to middle class. The Wine Spectator also caters to the upper middle to upper class people who can afford to take trips to enjoy wineries across the country and in other parts of the world.

Purpose: To inform the audience what the Santa Barbara area has to offer in regards to wine.

DESIGN:

Feature 1: Layout

Example: Marcus has made this article very simple and easy to read. There is no unnecessary information, and the information given is direct and to the point. By only listing the contact information and location, he is effectively communicating to his audience by letting them know how to get a hold of these wineries. Given that his intended audience is already interested in wine, he has included the location of wineries, as well as their contact information.

Analysis: This fulfills the author’s purpose of helping to increase tourism to the local wineries. It is effective for his audience, because he is writing to people who he assumes are already visiting.

Feature 2: Visual Aid

Example: He has included a map of the area as well.

Analysis: By doing so, he gives his audience a visual so they can navigate the area if they decide to make a trip to try the wineries. This is important because the Wine Spectator is an international publication and his audience will not be familiar with the area. Therefore, it is effective for his purpose,.

ORGANIZATION:

Feature 1: Locality

Example: The author breaks up the area by where the wineries are located. One through six are located in the city of Santa Barbara, while seven through fourteen are located in wine country, including cities Buellton, Los Olivos, Lompoc, Los Alamos, and Solvang.

ANALYSIS: Here the author is giving his audience the necessary information in order to plan their day out according to where these wineries are located.

Feature 2: Structure:

Example: Marcus has structured the text by using two columns. He has separated each winery by big bold colorful print, as well as numbers. Each winery is consistent with the same dark green color, while the location of the wineries, have more of a dark brown color.

Analysis: This helps the audience to understand the information easily and visually. Because it is something they read for fun, not necessity, and attractive visual layout is important.

CONTENT:

Feature 1: Contact Information

Marcus has included the names of 14 wineries around Santa Barbara. In addition to the names, he has included the address, telephone number, website, cost, and the hours of operation of these wineries. The map also gives a visual to help the audience understand the distance between the wineries.

Feature 2: No Evaluation

Example The article does not include what kind of wine is offered at each winery. The author also leaves out if there are food options such as cheese and crackers.

Analysis: This is because the author is under the impression that his audience already has an understanding of what to expect while at a winery. Including that information may be appealing to his audience. There are also no pictures of wine or the wineries themselves.

STYLE:

Feature 1: Direct Language

Example The style is direct and to the point. For example, there is no description of unnecessary details, such as his opinion or the popularity of each winery. He simply lists where to find these wineries and when they are open.

Analysis: The author is under the assumption that his audience knows a great deal about wine so he only provides information to get them to a destination that has a lot of variety of wine and vineyards.

VALUES:

The author and intended audience share a common interest in wine. Since this article is in a wine magazine, the author already knows her audience is interested in wine. This article is intended to have the audience travel to Santa Barbara to enjoy wine. Since this magazine is an international publication, it is intended to get people from other parts of the country or even the world to come see what Central California has to offer. Central California has great weather for growing grapes for wine, thus attracting wine enthusiasts from all over. If the author is successful, it will not only be good for the wine scene, but it will also help boost the Santa Barbara economy by attracting outside money and bringing it into all aspects of that community. So we can say another shared value of the author and audience is discovering new places, tourism, or supporting local wine growers.

References

Marcus, Kim. 15 June 2017: n. pag Web. 25 May 2017