Sustainable wine market: are consumers ready? A case study of German and Italian young consumers

Farmers, producers, marketers and research institutes in the wine business seem to be interested and involved in changing the production of wine towards more sustainable methods. However, consumers’ positive environmental perception for wine still seems skeptical. Recent studies in the sustainable wine field have heightened the need for exploring winegrowing and winemaking practices and the influence of the eco-label in wine choice decisions. However, even though consumers seem interested in environmentally friendly issues, it is not clear whether they add value to sustainable wines and pay attention to organic labels. So far, there has been little discussion about consumers’perception of such products. This paper aims to examine, through a research background and focus groups, the personal attitudes and expectations of young German and Italian consumers in the purchase of organic wine. Specifically, this work addresses how these consumers perceive organic and environmentally friendly wines in order to understand whether the adoption of sustainable practices and the relative eco-certification and labeling system will be an added value for the wine marketplace. Even though the results suggest that there is a positive image of sustainable products, consumers do not strongly relate wine with environmental issues. No significant differences were found between the two groups, which seem very unfamiliar with the term organic when it addresses wine products. However, it seems that the German consumers were more involved and interested in organic products compared to the Italian group. Further studies in quantitative research are needed to clarify the attitudes and values which trigger the purchasing of sustainable wine.