Date published: 01.09.08 - not release date

‘20 SOMETHINGS’ THINK WINE IS TRENDY - BUT DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND

London, May 11, 2007 – Young adults in Britain in the 20-25 age range have very positive attitudes to drinking wine, but also express anxieties about their lack of wine knowledge reveals an international study by VINEXPO, organiser of the world’s biggest wine and spirits exhibition. The study is based on focus groups in five countries.

Compared with similar age groups in the USA and Japan, British young adults have an easy and open relationship with wine drinking which they consider to be stylish and civilised. In contrast to their parents at the same age they are very familiar with wine .

This age group in the UK sees wine as being trendy, fashionable and good for the health. They perceive that wine drinking does not lead to drunkenness.

Yet while they aspire to be wine drinkers, whom they see as refined and educated people, they do not consider wine to have a young image. They have the impression that to enjoy wine they must be knowledgeable which requires effort.

The mystique surrounding wine and the cost are both deterrents. They worry about matching food with wine and sometimes hesitate to buy wine because they don’t know how well it will go with food.

The 20-25s complain that a good bottle of wine is expensive and even a glass of wine costs between £4 and £6. They also say that wine labels confuse while failing to inform, yet they like the traditional shape of wine bottles and label styles.

Nonetheless, all say they intend to drink more wine in the future. Moreover, they express clear preferences for making wine more appealing to them. They suggest retails should give wine a younger image combined with clear guidance on when and how to drink it.

At the same time they do not want wine brands to be seen to be targeting them overtly.
The age group seeks wines which are light and fruity and for which the taste features are clearly explained. Some sections of this age group would prefer to see more merchandising and wine education aimed at them in wine bars and shops.

Robert Beynat, General Manager of VINEXPO, said: “This study shows very positive views to wine by young adults in the UK. It is clear that wine drinking is something they aspire and they want to know more about.”

The study was conducted for VINEXPO in the last six months by French research company BVA among focus groups of 20-25 year olds in London, Paris, Brussels, New York and Tokyo.

Notes to Editors:

•VINEXPO 2007 takes place from June 17-21 in Bordeaux, France, attracting nearly 2,400 exhibitors froom 45 countries and 50,000 visitors from 140 countries.

•Journalists can register for their electronic badges on the media section of the VINEXPO website: www.vinexpo.com
http://www.gldatasystems.fr/Vinexpo2007/Presse/FormPMain.asp...

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Eugene Bacot
Colin Lewis
V O I C E
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