PurposeThe aim of this study is to investigate and compare the engagement of Generation Y consumers with champagne and sparkling wine across five Anglophone countries.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative approach was adopted using focus groups with young consumers, including images and wine tasting as projective stimuli.FindingsThere were significant trans‐cultural similarities between consumption behaviour (sparkling wine is a women's drink, and a separate category from still wine, and that they will “grow into” drinking it) but also noticeable differences (responses to images and colours varied substantially, as did attitudes to price and the particular status of champagne).Research limitations/implicationsResearch into the behaviour of Generation Y as a cohort needs to take account of cultural as much as generational context. However, as a qualitative study the findings need further quantitative validation.Practical implicationsMarketers cannot view Generation Y as a single group; even within countries marketing strategies may need to be refined depending on where a product is being sold.Originality/valueNo trans‐cultural study on Generation Y has been carried out to date, nor has their engagement with sparkling wine been specifically explored.

Making a connection: Tasting rooms and brand loyalty. Abstract PurposeThere is growing research on the value of winery tasting rooms/cellar doors as an avenue for relationship building with consumers resulting in greater brand loyalty. This paper examines the role of tasting rooms in this regard in an Australasian context. Methodology/approachThe research was exploratory, designed to explore a full range of visitors' experiences at the winery tasting room, using a modified form of mystery shopping combined with focus groups. FindingsEstablishing brand loyalty through a winery tasting room experience requires more than just good wine or good service quality, rather it results from an experience which is personalised and which establishes an emotional connection between the visitor and the winery, their product and winery staff. Generally smaller wineries were making this emotional connection more effectively than larger wineries. By contrast, staff at small and larger wineries alike were making little effort to establish concrete links to instil brand loyalty with the wine tourist post-visit by encouraging repeat visitation or promoting their mailing lists or even eliciting wine sales. Research limitations/implicationsThe research focused on a relatively small number of consumers in Australia and New Zealand and thus may not be immediately generalisable to other markets. Practical implicationsThe research highlights numerous areas for improvement in the organisation of tasting room encounters and the training of staff, noticeably with regards to making lasting connections with visitors resulting in future brand loyalty; issues which could be addressed by winery managers.Originality/value of paper The paper gives depth to results previously reported by researchers on the role of service provision at the tasting room to the overall winery experience, and adds perspectives on the effectiveness of efforts to establish brand loyalty and maintain post-visit contact with the winery visitor.

There is a growing body of research on the experience of visitors to winery tasting rooms, and their expectations and satisfaction. This overview uses qualitative research in Australia and New Zealand to examine a number of themes relating to the visitor's experience in the tasting room, including the impact of the size of the winery, the nature of the service encounter, and the effect of paying for wine. The significance of these themes is placed in the context of the experience economy and the provision of hospitality generally. The practical relevance of the article is to relate consumers' expectations and perceptions of tasting rooms to the goals of wineries generally, and also the issue of wine quality as a significant factor in the experience, with some specific recommendations for further research and for the implementation of practical outcomes for a successful tasting room.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to test Luna and Gupta’s (2001) investigative framework on the interaction of cultural values and consumer behaviour by conducting a cross-cultural comparison of young wine consumers’ interpretation of images of champagne and sparkling wine. The research examined consumer responses to the images through the prism of the relationship between symbolism, ritual and myth, as well as other related values. Design/methodology/approach – In a series of focus groups with consumers from four anglophone countries (the USA, New Zealand, Australia and the UK), six images of champagne and sparkling wine were used as stimuli to encourage affective and cognitive perspectives on the topic. Findings – Overall, the UK market showed distinct differences from the other markets, due very much to its cultural context. The UK consumers valued traditional advertising; focused mainly on the product itself; and did not associate champagne with fun. Respondents from the New World focused on the general impression of the image and on enjoyment and fun associated with consumption of champagne and sparkling wine. Practical implications – The most crucial implication of this research is the cultural variation in consumer perceptions of champagne and sparkling wine and the impact that it has upon marketing strategies on how to market this product category to younger consumers in different markets. Originality/value – This research contributes to the study of cultural values and consumption behaviour, as well as image effectiveness in forming perceptions of the product category.