Consumer behaviour and sensory preference differences: implications for wine product marketing

Abstract

PurposeExploratory research was conducted in a well‐known Australian wine region to determine the differences in the behaviour dynamics and sensory preferences of consumer groups. The overall aim is to gain some insights into the product style preferences of consumers and what this means in practical terms to wine product marketing.Design/methodology/approachInformation was obtained from a random sample of 150 visitors to ten wineries in the Yarra Valley wine region in Australia. Data were collected by means of self‐administration surveys using a highly structured questionnaire at each of the winery tasting room venues.FindingsSpecific differences exist in the wine consumption behaviour and sensory preferences of males and females and between generational cohorts, specifically Millennial and older consumers. Females drink less wine than males, spend less thereon but tend to “compensate” for this by buying higher priced wine per bottle, which could represent a risk‐reduction strategy. Females are noticeably higher than their male counterparts in white wine consumption, showing a preference for a sweeter wine style at a young age, and reported a strong preference for medium body style wines over light and full‐bodied wines. From a sensory preference viewpoint, fruit tastes and aromas are by far the most important, especially among females, as are vegetative characters, wood/oak, and mouth‐feel characters. More males, on the other hand, preferred the aged characters of wine.Research limitations/implicationsIt is possible to target wine consumers in accordance with their gender and lifecycle stage as far as the sensory and certain behavioural aspects of the product are concerned. However, this should not be oversimplified and drive product marketing strategies in the wrong direction.Originality/valueThis study is of value to academic researchers, wine industry practitioners and other wine distribution channel members alike, as it provides insights into consumer behaviour differences and one of the core tangible aspects of a wine product, namely the sensory preferences of consumers.

Czech wine consumers: maturing with age?

“…Australian studies prove that the strongest gender differences are in the volume of wine consumed, grape variety and wine style [10], [11]. According to a UK study, women have strong preferences for white wine since only 34% of them prefer red wine compared to 48% who prefer white wine [12]. These observations are supported by Australian results, which found that men are much less likely than women to drink white and sparkling wines [25].…”

“…The importance of each of these factors has been explored in several studies of the Australian and New Zealand wine markets [12], [40], [55], [9], as well as the US wine market [41], [26]. In Europe, there have been consumer-oriented segmentation studies of the Swiss and Irish wine markets [7], [21].…”

“…Previous studies have often focused on fi nding out demographic facts about consumers -for example the fact that consumption grows with age [12]. However lifestyle determinants have been studied less extensively [8].…”

Consumers’ knowledge of and attitudes toward the role of oak in winemaking

“…The number of respondents with tertiary qualifications (76.8%) was greater than in the general population, 24 but again consistent with other studies that demonstrated wine consumers are more likely to hold tertiary qualifications. 16,25,26 This was also reflected in respondents' household incomes; ~50% of respondents had an average household income above 100,000 AUD, with the majority of participants' household earnings exceeding the 64,168 AUD per annum Australian median household income. 27 segmentation of wine consumers according to their oak knowledge…”

Phenolic Compounds Content in Merlot Wines Obtained through Different Thermomaceration Techniques

“…Nowadays, wine making technology must take into account consumer preferences that is determined by the level of sweetness versus dryness and the body style (varying from light to full-bodied). Red wines are generally more complex and, although both males and female consumers report a higher preference for sweet wine when younger, and thereafter gravitate towards drier wine styles, but the majority of consumers (generally males) of all ages prefer their wine dry and full-bodied (Bruwer et al, 2011). This indicator was taken into consideration and all samples are fermented to dryness (Table 1) so the phenolic compounds can't be influenced be these parameters (Malien-Aubert et al, 2001).…”