The International Associated Women in Wine conducted a study on the consumption of wine by European women. The results were announced in June 2008 during the general Assembly of the organization and the official analysis was just released.

Some intriguing points were raised by the answers to the questionnaire, depending on the country where it was issued. Italy, Greece, Switzerland, Spain and Hungary were covered by the study.

First topic covered was women as wine buyers: in all countries, they buy local wines, shop in supermarkets (65% for Italy and 40% for Greece), in wineries (Switzerland, 68%) and in wine stores (Spain, 40,7%). Italian women buy wine for their home (35%) and to drink with their friends (22%); 54% of Greek women buy for their home; 88% of the Swiss for meals for friends; Spaniards for home (55%) and Hungarian mostly for home.

As wine consumers, women are full of surprise and have very different behavioral patterns from one country to an other one:

Where do women drink wine?

-Italy : 33% in restaurants
- Switzerland: 93% at home with friends

Spain: 70.6 % at home with the family

Hungary: mainly (without percentage) at home with friends

Which wines do they usually drink?

Italy: 48% red

53% light-fruity

54 % still

Greece: 61 % red

56 % white

37% dry

24% still

Switzerland: 89,8 % red

52.2% full bodied with intense flavor

53,8 % white

34.9% still

42.5% dry

Spain: 100% red

and 46.9% white

31.2% light-fruity

21.9% sparkling

Women also have a good wine knowledge: they attended wine seminars and tastings as well as they visited wineries to expand and diversify their knowledge. They know the main grape varietals of their country as well as in what order wines should be served at a meal.

In spite of its limits, this study shows general patterns in consuming and buying wines among European women. The International Associated Women in Wine is now working on a more complete and scientific study conducted in every European country.

The International Associated Women in Wine conducted a study on the consumption of wine by European women. The results were announced in June 2008 during the general Assembly of the organization and the official analysis was just released.

Some intriguing points were raised by the answers to the questionnaire, depending on the country where it was issued. Italy, Greece, Switzerland, Spain and Hungary were covered by the study.

First topic covered was women as wine buyers: in all countries, they buy local wines, shop in supermarkets (65% for Italy and 40% for Greece), in wineries (Switzerland, 68%) and in wine stores (Spain, 40,7%). Italian women buy wine for their home (35%) and to drink with their friends (22%); 54% of Greek women buy for their home; 88% of the Swiss for meals for friends; Spaniards for home (55%) and Hungarian mostly for home.

As wine consumers, women are full of surprise and have very different behavioral patterns from one country to an other one:

Where do women drink wine?

- Italy : 33% in restaurants
- Switzerland: 93% at home with friends
- Spain: 70.6 % at home with the family
- Hungary: mainly (without percentage) at home with friends

Which wines do they usually drink?

- Italy: 48% red; 53% light-fruity; 54 % still
- Greece: 61 % red; 56 % white; 37% dry; 24% still
- Switzerland: 89,8 % red; 52.2% full bodied with intense flavor; 53,8 % white; 34.9% still; 42.5% dry
- Spain: 100% red and 46.9% white; 31.2% light-fruity; 21.9% sparkling

Women also have a good wine knowledge: they attended wine seminars and tastings as well as they visited wineries to expand and diversify their knowledge. They know the main grape varietals of their country as well as in what order wines should be served at a meal.

In spite of its limits, this study shows general patterns in consuming and buying wines among European women. The International Associated Women in Wine is now working on a more complete and scientific study conducted in every European country.

When people think Hungary, they see Tokaji. But Hungary has many other wines and, until very recently, no professional body to represent them on the international markets. Wine producers now have a promotional body: Wines of Hungary. “In terms of international promotion, our major strategic goal is to build up the Wines of Hungary brand,” says managing director Richard Nemes to Caroline Gilby, MW for Wine Business International. “We are in the initial phase, branding Wines of Hungary, creating the website and related publications.”

Branding “Wines of Hungary” is certainly a difficult task: who knows Hungarian wines? I started my search on Google and hopefully typed “Wines of Hungary”. I got an interesting answer under the URL winesofhungary.com: a blank screen with an email address. I don’t want to sound too critical but… common sense brings a basic thought to mind: don’t put a press release out before all your PR is ready. An other link on Google sent me to a 10-year old site published by the Hungarian Wine Society. It took a few clicks to get to a recent site where I was able to learn a little more about Hungarian wines.

I’m afraid the “Wines of Hungary” are still far from being branded in wine consumers’ mind – a pity when you know how wonderful the wines are and how wonderful it would be to have a wider access to them. Keep working and keep us posted on what you’re doing.

My friend Robert MacIntosh, who founded the European Group on OWC to overcome the traditional distinction between Old World and New World in wine, should be pleased by this piece of news: Old World and New World are old news. Now one talks about World Wines.

How did I get this critical information? On Thursday I went to an international tasting organized by my friend Catherine Mell at the Crillon Hotel in Paris. Such an event is very rare in France: wine consumers are not fond of foreign wines, not even vaguely interested. This event met an incredible success – over 500 people showed up and tasted many of the wines offered. Importers and winemakers poured wines from the US, Australia, Austria, New Zealand, Russia, Greece, Hungary, Cyprus and many other countries.

My information on world wines came from a very interesting character, Laurent Metge-Toppin, who was for 10 years the winemaker of Siam Winery in Thailand and is now their rep in Europe. Metge-Toppin is an enologist trained in France but who was living in London when he met Chalerm Yoovidhya, an industrial making a “wine cooler”, kind of a refreshing drink based on wine. Metge-Tappin moved to Thailand and started working on the wine cooler. Quite by accident, he figured out he could make a decent wine with the local grapes. In 1998, Monsoon Valley was born: in the buddhist calendarthis 1998 vintage is the 2541 vintage! Metge-Toppin is now selling his wine to restaurants and wine consumers. He hired Sakom Series, enologist trained in Bordeaux and former employee of Château Pape-Clément, to create a great wine. His definition of Thai wines? “A different wine, not New World, not Old World. A world wine unique by its taste and characteristics…”

I tasted some of the Monsoon Valley wines: the Rosé Shiraz 2008 (Malaga Blanc, Colombard and Shiraz), the Colombard 2008 and the Blended Red 2008 (Pokdum and Shiraz) – they’re unusual, unique and totally different. I’ll be very happy to taste them with thai food. Should we meet in a thai restaurant soon?

I spent a fascinating day in Geneva, Switzerland listening to the results of a European study on women as wine consumers and buyers in Europe organized by the International Associated Women in Wine (IAWIW). The countries represented were: Greece whose organization started the survey in 2005 in its country, France, Italy, Spain, Hungary, Switzerland and Germany.

The study was conducted mostly among women already drinking wine. The IAWIW created a committee in order to work on a more developed level including more countries and women based on the country demographics. The panel of each country was asked several types of questions, among which the most important were:

- As a buyer, what kind of wine do you buy? What are your criteria to choose a wine?
- As a consumer, how often do you drink wine? What kind of wine do you prefer?

The answers to those questions were amazing: in almost every country (with the exception of France), women buy a wine for its grape, then because of its region of origin and finally for pairing with food. Price comes rather down on the list.

Most women drink at least once a week, sometimes everyday for older women (60+). They like bodied wines, strong in alcohol and mostly red. They are not attracted to fruitier or lighter wines. And they despise wines specifically designed for women! They’re not specially fond of rosé, white or sparkling wines.

Interestingly enough, most women drinking wine have at least a high school degree, about 20% of them a college degree and they are socially in the upper middle-class with a monthly income of 1800 euros and + . They buy mostly on their own decision and don’t refer to a male opinion to make their choice.

This survey showed that marketers and wine makers have to review some of their prejudices on women as wine consumers. The surprise came mostly for the first criteria of choice: the grape. Indeed countries such as France, Spain, Portugal or Italy usually mention the origin of the wine, before the grape variety. This result showed clearly that women had a rather unconventional way of approaching the wine culture. I’m sure the more scientific European survey we’re working on will reveal even more surprising insights on the consumerial behavior of women in Europe. Those information could be also very interesting to import wines to the European markets.

We’ll be debating this topic and I’ll give more details on the survey in our weekly NewWineConsumer.com live radio show on Wednesday. Stay tuned!

On June 26th, 2008, there is an international conference taking place in Geneva on European women as wine consumers and buyers. It is organized by the International Associated Women in Wine Federation, an official organization federating organizations of female wine professionals from several European countries (Italy, Spain, Greece, Switzerland, Germany and Hungary).

A representative of each country will present the situation in her own country. I will speak about France and will let you know on Monday what happened to the conference.