The effect of tasting sheet sensory descriptors on tasting room sales

Abstract

To study the impact that tasting sheet sensory descriptors have on wine sales in tasting rooms that rely on direct-to-consumer sales to sell the majority of their wines, such as those in New York wine regions. o Design: Nine tasting rooms participated in the study that took place on weekends (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) during a six-week period in July and August 2012. Tasting rooms alternated tasting sheets by weekend, one including sensory descriptors and one without any sensory descriptors. At the end of each weekend, tasting room managers compiled daily wine bottle and (in the case of seven wineries) dollar sales information. A multivariate statistical model was created to measure the relationship between the treatment (tasting sheet with or without descriptors) and wine sales, controlling for other variables that could influence wine sales. o Findings: We found that tasting sheets without sensory descriptors increased both bottle and dollar sales, with dollar sales being statistically significant at the ten percent level. Other variables that impacted wine sales included the specific tasting room, the day of the weekend, and festivals occurring in the area. o Practical implications: Many tasting rooms, particularly in New York, rely on the tasting room for the majority of wine sales. Determining factors that affect sales can help tasting room managers/owners optimize the tasting room experience for maximized profits.

The Effect of Subjective and Objective Tasting Sheet Descriptors on Tasting Room Sales in New York State

“…This finding is in line with a study of Spanish wineries showing that subjective notes/comments may no longer be a "must" to be included in a tasting sheet (Breit, 2013). This result is also consistent with a previous study by Thomas (2013) which found that objective sensory information may be more valuable and lead to higher sales in winery tasting rooms. This finding provides more nuanced evidence on the positive impacts of objective tasting descriptors on sales in winery tasting rooms.…”

“…In tasting rooms, wine tasting guidance is offered by wine tasting notes/tasting sheets designed to supply information to help visitors find the wines that match their taste preferences. Tasting sheets are also used to suggest particular wines to consumers and to influence their purchase decisions (Thomas, 2013). Tasting sheets list comprehensive information about featured wines including sensory descriptors as well as supplemental information such as price, discounts, wine club membership offers, awards, and food pairings (Gómez & Kelley, 2013).…”

“…Although previous research has studied the impacts of (wine) sensory descriptors on sales performance in retail and restaurant settings (see Thomas et al, 2014, for a detailed review), the implications may not be applied to tasting rooms. In contrast to a retail setting, the tasting room can be perceived as less risky because the customer experience may involve more information clues, possibly leading to different outcomes.…”

“…In contrast to a retail setting, the tasting room can be perceived as less risky because the customer experience may involve more information clues, possibly leading to different outcomes. To our knowledge, Thomas et al (2014) is the only study on the impact of tasting sheet descriptors on sales in wine tasting rooms. They find that tasting sheets without any sensory descriptors are associated with higher sales relative to the regular tasting sheets and therefore suggest removing all the sensory descriptors from the tasting sheets in winery tasting rooms.…”

“…A large number of U.S. wineries are increasingly relying on direct-to-customer sales that are mediated by tasting room experiences, to enhance the accessibility of wine to consumers (Thomas et al, 2014). Tasting rooms allow consumers to navigate the complex process of wine purchase by providing an opportunity to taste the wine under the guidance of winemakers and experts before making purchase decisions at the winery premises.…”