LONDON, March 29 /PRNewswire/ — Winemakers and retailers must make a bigger effort to interest young adults so as to overcome wine’s complex image, says an international study of 20-25 year olds.

But compared with a similar study ten years ago, wine is now much more acceptable to this age group largely thanks to branding, improved marketing and changes in attitudes to wine. In the UK, wine is increasingly seen as a trendy drink to be found in style bars and wine bars.

Carried out in five countries by VINEXPO organiser of the world’s biggest wine and spirit exhibition, and France’s BVA, the research is based on focus groups in the UK, Belgium, France, USA and Japan.

Responses from all countries show that the 20-25 year olds want to have a better understanding of wine which they perceive as refined, cultivated and an aspirational part of growing up. Wine is associated with sophisticated enjoyment and even conferring health benefits.

However, the obstacles holding back young adults from appreciating wine are:

Price: wine is perceived to be expensive

Elitism: the wine culture and vocabulary exclude young adults

Difficult choices: lack of understanding of the many different wines and wine styles

Plethora of choices: bewildering ranges and confusing labels

Among other obstacles is the length of time and perseverance required to learn how to appreciate wine.

These recommendations translate into practical expectation, said the groups. For wine as a product they want it to be: light, fruity and refreshing with clear positioning on taste features and explanations about how wine matches with food. In the UK, USA and Belgium there is an interest in wine cocktails.

As far as packaging is concerned, there is a clear division between Europe - where the groups liked traditional bottles and labels - and the USA/Japan - where young adults want an entirely new kind of presentation with different bottle shapes and colours.

There was strong interest in wine learning and guidance especially adapted to younger adults and a recommendation that retailers and bars could offer wine sections for young adults and wine bars with appropriate wine theme nights, food and music.

National cultures play an important part in the perceptions of wine. In France and Belgium wine is a part of every day life since childhood. In the UK, by contrast, 20-25 year olds are becoming more familiar with wine and drinking wine is less exclusive. In the USA wine drinking is associated with the culture of Europe and reserved for special occasions, while in Japan drinking wine is considered exotic and reserved for very special occasions.

Nonetheless, the mature image of the wine drinker is also a driver to consumption among young adults. The groups commented that they wanted to be able to drink wine like older people while others said wine drinking was associated with more reasonable behaviour.

Fashion plays a part in all five countries. In the UK respondents said that wine is found in fashionable venues and up-market bars where bottles of wine are part of the decoration. In France and Belgium, 20-25 year olds are attracted to wine by media and sporting personalities. In Japan, it has become fashionable to ‘give your girlfriend a bottle of wine made in the year she was born’, while in the USA, branding of wine has made it more fun and younger.

Compared with a similar VINEXPO study carried out in 1997, wine is now drunk more widely by the age group and is seen as a quality product.

VINEXPO 2007 runs from June 17-21 in Bordeaux, France and will host 2,400 exhibitors from 44 countries, attracting 50,000 visitors from 138 countries.

Source: VINEXPO 2007

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