By Jeff Manno
The United States is the single largest wine market in the world and, unlike France and Italy, consumption is on the rise. However, the normal wine consumer in the US is hard to understand. Why? In large part, because there is no typical US wine consumer, but rather the market is segmented into six different types of wine consumers.
Constellation Brands, a global wine, beer and spirits producer and marketer studied 4000 people who drank wine at least once every three months, and found “that some wine drinkers want adventure, some use wine as a status symbol, some want wine that is inexpensive and easy to drink, and others find the world of wine confusing and intimidating.”
Based upon Constellation’s findings, the US wine drinker can be one of the following:
• Overwhelmed: 90% of wine drinkers do not like to shop for wine and find the experience complex, reports Constellation Brands.
• The Price Driven Consumer: 21% of American wine drinkers consider price their top consideration when buying. These same people also drink a lot of wine; wine makes up 38% of their total alcoholic beverage consumption.
•Everyday Loyals: 20% of American wine drinkers, with a predominantly female skew, drink wine daily. According to the report, “they tend to be brand loyal, sticking to wines they like, and are not particularly interested in trying something new.”
•Image Seekers: 18% of American winos, want to “seem like they’re in the know, and like to drink trendy brands with cool labels,” and they also have “a repertoire of well-known brands that they have in their back pocket.”
•Engaged Newcomers: 12% of consumers, “these young consumers see wine as a big part of their social lives and want to learn more about it.” They are also likely to buy organic or biodynamic wines, and want to hear the stories of the winemaker.
•Enthusiasts: The true wine lovers who “love talking about it, reading reviews about it, shopping for it and sharing it. They join wine clubs, too.”
With this valuable insight from Constellation Brands, restaurateurs need to take a serious look at how they will appeal to today’s American wine drinker. To stay competitive and drive sales in this complex wine consumer market, management needs to clearly segment, target and position their wine program to attract their ideal wine drinkers.
If you would like help in marketing your venue to today’s American Wine Drinker, Synergy has 25 years of proven consulting success, and is here to help. Contact us today.
To learn more about Constellation Brands Report, the full article is here.