Creating value through strategic advice, branding and research
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Welcome to Wine Intelligence |
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Who are we?We are the only consulting, branding and market research company dedicated to serving the wine industry globally |
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The Wine Intelligence View: |
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Country matters – or does it? May 2008
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Walk into most wine retailers – be they supermarkets, convenience stores or specialist merchants – and wine will tend to be displayed according to country of origin. Usually reds will be separated from whites (and more and more shops see the benefit of putting white wines in a chiller) but that is as far as the logic goes. There have been attempts to merchandise wines according to their style – “soft and fruity” or “crisp and refreshing” are phrases that do resonate with some consumers. Unfortunately most of these experiments have not worked as well as the marketing teams behind them had hoped they would, and most have been quietly dropped in favour of the status quo ante. |
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So why not display wines according to grape variety? It may sound like a crazy idea – crazy, that is, until you listen to what consumers themselves have to say. Vinitrac®, Wine Intelligence’s global wine drinker insights survey, regularly asks consumers in 14 countries about how they decide what wine to buy. Grape variety consistently overshadows country of origin as the major cue. For example: Vinitrac® survey data gathered in Sweden in October 2007 shows that 60 per cent of regular wine consumers list variety as a major influence on choice, compared to 39 per cent who cite country of origin. In the USA, country of origin is not even among the top five choice cues (perhaps not surprising given the dominance of domestic wine). There, 69 per cent of regular consumers say grape variety is their most important consideration, with 48 per cent saying it’s region of origin. The pattern is repeated in the UK, with 67 per cent listing grape variety as a major influence and 51 per cent saying country of origin. It would be a brave retailer indeed who merchandised all wines according to variety: where would that leave Rhône reds, Australian Cabernet/Merlot or experimental blends from anywhere in the world? |
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But retailers who dare to break with convention by experimenting with a section on, say, Pinot Noir or Sauvignon Blanc may well find they are speaking the consumer’s language –and perhaps even trading them up to wines like Burgundy and Pouilly-Fumé that many people had no idea were related to their current favourites. Graham Holter, May 2008 |
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Join us at LIWF08 where we are running a series of industry briefings and seminars - including the Wine Intelligence and Brintex Industry Briefing - a session where we will seek to answer the question: "How much does country of origin matter to British and American wine consumers and what can exporting countries do about it?" For more information about our events at LIWF08 click here |
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For more Wine Intelligence views on current industry affairs, please contact us to speak to one of our industry experts
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info@wineintelligence.com | |
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+44 (0)20 7089 3890 |