A new breakthrough study by Wine Market Council looked at why many consumers don’t choose wine. Experts have a new name for them, the ‘wine hesitant,’ and “frankly, they’re probably not in your immediate social circle,” said study researcher Russ Onish, president of Vista Grande, the Tampa-based research firm that conducted the study. “It’s instructive to get out of your bubble and to hear from the masses on how they perceive things.”

The study relied on a 15-minute survey with more than 1,500 respondents who found more reasons not to buy wine than to buy it.

Wine Outcompeted for Attention and Purchase

Said Onish, “Generally, they [consumers surveyed] like wine, but it wasn’t the right fit, or didn’t offer the value they’re looking for, or they had some concerns healthwise, or there was uncertainty about its taste, or something about the shopping experience was impeding their purchasing, or it just didn’t give off the right vibe for that occasion.”

The data showed that in an on-premise location, most consumers in the study chose beer (42%) or a cocktail or ready-to-drink alcoholic beverage (37%). Only 8% chose wine.

The situation was no better in retail, where beer, spirits and RTDs outpaced wine. While 21% of study respondents considered buying wine, less than half, 10%, did.

But that’s not the end of the story.

Top Three Marketing Takeaways

What are some tips to move the wine hesitant to consideration and on to purchase? Experts said wine still has some winning assets that can increase sales. After pressure testing 30-plus possible solutions to get the wine hesitant to act, two ideas stood out both for on-premise and retail: wine-based cocktails and seasonal drinks.

Wine cocktails

“People like cocktails,” Onish said, adding they’re ordered twice as much as wine. “We’re not trying to teach them to buy cocktails. They’re already there.”

Brian Gelb, Total Wine & More senior vice president of wine, weighed in on the blurring of alcoholic beverage categories among younger drinker demographics.

“I don’t even think that people necessarily think, ‘Oh, I’m going to go in and buy wine or buy beer.’ They think they want to drink something that tastes good, that’s priced fair, and that fits … the vibe or the occasion.”

Seasonality

Seasonality comes into play, experts said. Wine spritzers in the summer, sangria whenever, and then, come Halloween, pumpkin chardonnay, it’s all part of the wine set, Gelb said.

Sampling is also key.

“Something we’ve been doing as a company for the past few years is the cocktail of the month,” he said. “We feature a cocktail every month, and we have it on our tasting bar so people can try the cocktail and buy the ingredients,” he said.

Bundling

Total Wine & More offers product bundles as another sales tactic.

“We’re going to do some holiday-themed cocktails featuring sparkling wines throughout the November/December time period, because it works really well for us,” Gelb said. Spiced mulled wine for the holidays is also popular.

Gelb increases sales by bundling, too.

“We offer a bundle deal on all the ingredients. So if you buy the wine, or the mixer, or whatever you’re adding to, plus maybe some garnish, if you buy all three, you get some type of discount. And that becomes a compelling way to build the basket. As a retailer, you’re selling a solution, which is what people want. They’re tasting it so they know it tastes good. It’s not a gamble. And typically, a lot of the wine cocktails are not complex … you’re adding wine, one ingredient, maybe two ingredients, and you’re done.”

Researchers said low-alcohol wines were a good fit for health-conscious consumers while smaller formats were also finding favor.

Gallo Launches New 200 mL Tetra Paks

Last week, Gallo announced it is releasing four of its top brands (Barefoot, Clos du Bois, Gallo Family Vineyards and Mark West) in 200 mL Tetra Paks to be more competitive per serving with other alcoholic beverages. It may also help convenience store sales, where alcoholic drinks are increasingly being purchased.

The full report on overcoming obstacles to purchase is available from Wine Market Council to members. Information on joining the council is available at winemarketcouncil.com/join/.