A cross-cultural study of wine consumers with respect to health benefits of wine

The objective of the present study was to examine consumer preference and consumption behaviour with respect to the health benefits of wine for two contextually and culturally diverse consumer groups, namely Koreans and Australians. Participants were required to be wine consumers over the age of 18. Responses were collected by means of an online questionnaire. The results indicated that perceived health benefits of red wine were higher in the Australian sample than the Korean sample. Similarly, Australian consumers had more health related wine knowledge than Korean consumers. Red wine was the preferred wine style for both Korean and Australian consumers; however, the proportion of preference for red wine was significantly higher in the Korean sample. With respect to the expenditure on wine products, AUD$11–$19 was the preferred price range for both groups. The results also indicated that health-oriented wine is more attractive to Korean consumers than Australian consumers. In relation to gender, Korean women preferred red wine as much as men, but Australian women consumed significantly more white wine than men. Such findings inform winemakers and wine marketers on the appropriateness of weighting wine production and marketing to health aspects in order to maximize consumer interest, especially in developing new wine markets.

► It is the first comparative study of wine consumers with respect to health benefits of wine.
► Red wine preference is higher in Korean consumers than in Australian consumers.
► Taste was the most important attribute for both Korean and Australian consumers.
► Health oriented wine was of more interest to Koreans than Australians.