Old, New and Third Wine Regions: a Consumer Perspective

Wine businesses operate in a competitive environment, characterised
by shifting consumer behavioural trends and the rise of new players (Third
Region countries). An extensive theoretical research is initially performed,
intending to examine the various aspects regarding wine consumer purchase
behaviour. Subsequently, an empirical survey is performed, with the gathered
data processed with both descriptive and multivariate statistical techniques.
The empirical research evaluated the theoretically identified variables in the
context of the new competitive conditions that characterise the wine-growing
sector today. The research has identified five ‘macro-themes’ explaining the
perception of the generic product ‘wine’; two different clusters of countries
presenting homogeneities in terms of their consumers’ purchase attitudes;
and three consumer-behaviour-defining elements implicitly linked to marketing
and branding approaches. The research has identified trends which add to
the comprehension of consumer behaviour and offer valuable guidance for
the development and implementation of corresponding strategies in the wine
business sector.