Preferences of the American Wine Drinker

A recent survey of wine drinkers across the country came up with some interesting results. And it's not always what the premium wine areas like Napa and Sonoma want to hear.

The survey sampled occasional and frequent wine drinkers with a fairly equal split across generations.

The survey was put together by the Wine Business Institute of Sonoma State University.

The highlights are:

• Top varieties consumed are Chardonnay and Merlot followed by White Zinfandel.
• People in the survey are looking for fruity, slightly sweet-tasting wine.
• They drink wine for its pleasing taste, but use it to help them relax and socialize.
• When selecting a wine price and the brand are most important--more important than the variety.
• They buy their wines at a wine shop or grocery store.
• Misc: Wine drinkers are fairly well off, have smart phones, and use Facebook. This info helps wine marketers.

Article from winebusiness.com