Introduction

Extensive research has shown that in blind tastings, price does not matter. That is, without knowing the price, people are just as likely to prefer a cheaper wine to a more expensive one. Of course, we don’t buy wines blindfolded, and people use brand, region/vineyard, grape, and price to select wines. In what follows, I ask how important region and grape will be for consumers in the future. My conclusion: much less so than now.

How People Choose Wines

For most people, wine choice starts with color. Some like red while others prefer whites. Historically, the next choice criterion was probably region, French regions/vineyards in particular. And now, the grape/varietal has become important. In recent years, there have been periods when Shiraz, Malbec, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc have been the wines of choice.

But what does this really mean? While consumers regularly express preferences for certain grapes or regions, these preferences often do stand up in blind tastings. More specifically, while most consumers in blind tastings might be able to distinguish between a Pinot Noir (light red) and a Cabernet Sauvignon (heavy red), many would not consistently prefer that Cab to other heavy reds – a Merlot, a Shiraz, or a Malbec.

A bit more on wine drinkers – most do not know if Burgundy is a grape or region. And if you ask to name the best wine they ever had, you will find with a little probing that it has more to do with the setting – “it was a beautiful evening and I was sitting on the ‘Left Bank’ with a beautiful woman” than the wine.

The Wine Marketers

Of course, the wine marketers know all this – they are aware of shaky preferences and how important brand, grape, region and price are to wine customers. They also believe they know what wines people like. They “claim” Americans prefer lighter and sweeter wines than Europeans.

 The Wine Producers

As I indicated in an earlier article, major changes are taking place in wine production.