Oct 282012
The holiday season will soon be upon us. Traditionally the season brings on a marked increase in wine purchases.
For wine producers and marketers alike, Bacchus and Beery Wine Blog and qSample has collected valuable insight into wine consumer’s buying habits. The survey was deployed to our wine enthusiast panel – YourWineOpinion.com. Not only does the festive holiday season promote increased wine purchases, but wine consumption in the United States is up 26% in the last ten years with over 784 million gallons of wine being sold in 2010.
For the American public, wine consumption has become affordable, more social and accessible. Results from the survey indicate over 83% of wine consumers have attended some level of college, but you don’t have to be a wine snob to know what you like. Most grocery stores carry a wide selection of varieties and over 53% regularly purchased wine at their local liquor, market or grocery store. You can be part of our panel… Join YourWineOpinion.com now.
In-Store samples may be the key to increased sales. The characteristics of “aroma” and “taste” were noted as the most popular qualities influencing a buying decision for these consumers with “brand” coming in third. The findings indicate that a consumer’s senses seem to lead the way when making a wine purchase more so than a desire for a specific brand. Therefore it makes “sense” (pun intended!) to increase sampling in stores, especially during this holiday season.
Holidays or not – more U.S. consumers are including wine as a lifestyle choice with 33% of our participants purchasing wine for consumption at home.
Also of note – 42% of the respondents indicated that they purchased wine on a daily or weekly basis, and over 70% spent under $20 per bottle on their wine purchases.
What’s the favorite wine choice? While our results contradict some other studiers, our group preferred Merlot, at 13%, squeaking past Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay for the top 3. American wines were preferred by our Panel, with French and Italian offerings close behind.
