The wine headache: Consumer perceptions of sulfites and willingness to pay for non-sulfited wines

• A considerable share of consumers believes that sulfites in wine cause headaches.
• We quantify consumer willingness to pay for wines produced without adding sulfites.
• Consumers reporting headaches are receptive to low-sulfite wine marketing.
• Consumers are not willing to trade quality for low sulfite content.
• “Contains sulfites” labeling may induce or amplify negative perceptions.

A panel of 223 alcohol consumers recruited in a liquor store participated in a survey/best–worst experiment investigating perceptions on sulfites and willingness to pay for non-sulfited wines. We find that 34% of our sample experiences headaches after consuming moderate amounts of wine, and sulfites are the most frequently attributed cause. Based on a rank ordered logit estimation of best–worst choices, headache syndrome sufferers are willing to pay a ceteris paribus premium of $1.23 per bottle to avoid added sulfites. However, results from a (logit) model of purchase intentions suggest that quality and price are most important, with differentiating labels (no sulfite added, organic) playing only a marginal role. Marketing implications for the wine industry are offered, and negative perceptions toward sulfites are contextualized within the hypothesis of a “lightning rod” effect induced by the “contains sulfites” warning label.