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.