*5.3.1 Taste*

*Advances in Grape and Wine Biotechnology*

alcohol wine (<11%) [29].

**5.2 Consumer profile**

Ongoing limitations in sensory quality, promotional issues, and a low level of awareness of the improvements in quality based on innovations in production methods, were suggested as potential barriers for market success [39]. Additionally, a 'snobbish' attitude within both wine consumers and producers, was suggested as a possible reason for the low acceptance of low alcohol wine. Therefore, Pickering [39] described the following strategies to grow consumer interest: efforts to increase awareness of and familiarity with the products, advocacy by industry opinion leaders to improve perceived credibility and consumer acceptance, and sustained promotion and advertising campaigns to promote DLRAW. Since then, varying findings on consumer interest have been reported. An Australian survey conducted in 2010 showed 6–8% consumer interest [46] whereas another Australian survey in 2013, found an acceptance of low alcohol wine of 16% [40]. This study by Saliba et al. [40], found that consumer acceptance increases to 40% if taste were to be the same as for standard wine products. According to a study on consumer metrics in the UK, a practical desire to keep buying cheap wines, health consciousness, taste and staying in control, were the main purchase decisions for wines with a strength lower than 11% [29]. Non-availability of the products, lower quality perceptions, taste issues, lack of awareness, lack of alcohol's feel effect and absence of a lower alcohol drinking occasion, were described as the main barriers to buying reduced

A study by Stockley et al. [32], showed that changes in wine consumption behaviour are most influenced by health. Wine Australia stated in 2017 in 'Global Drinking Trends' [47] that an increased consciousness about the risks of excessive alcohol consumption in combination with the general wellness trend among consumers, makes them choose beverages that are perceived to be healthier alternatives, such as wine, and leads to a preference to drink less but better. Current consumer groups choose high-quality, unique, and authentic brands and flavours, and this "premiumisation" trend is also seen in the global alcoholic drinks market [47]. A non-peer-reviewed report by a marketing company from 2016 suggests increasing consumer demand for low-alcohol wine and mentions high acceptance in

Research has shown that the more knowledge consumers have and the more frequently they consume wine, the less likely they are to appreciate the sensory properties of alcohol-reduced wine [34, 49]. Meillon et al. [34] found that wine professionals did not like the sensory properties of reduced alcohol wines, whereas consumer likings were less clear and masked a strong segmentation [34]. Meillon et al. [34] suggested that these findings can be explained by the theory of mere exposure [50], stating that familiarity with a product makes a consumer more likely to develop specific preferences concerning that product. Consequently, frequent wine consumers may be more likely to miss the higher alcohol level simply because that is what they are most acquainted with. Meillon et al. [49] concluded that the fewer bottles owned in the cellar, the more likely the consumers were to like the

Mainly women and the younger generation (age 18–39) show interest in lower alcohol wines, according to research by Prowein which was conducted in 2012 across the US, China, Germany and the UK [52]. Similarly, an Australian study showed that females and those who drink wine with food were the consumer groups that were most likely to purchase low-alcohol wine [53]. The buyers profile in the UK was described by Bruwer et al. [29] as females, Millennials and Baby Boomers,

Germany and big growth potentials in the US and Canada [48].

sensory properties of the reduced alcohol wine [51].

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Taste is one of the most important factors in wine consumption decision making [53]. A lack of or an unfamiliar taste may be important drawbacks for low-alcohol beverages [27]. However, interestingly, experimental research has shown that, when unaware of the alcohol percentage, lay consumers were unable to discriminate between alcohol-free and alcohol-containing beer or between regular-strength and lower-strength beer [54, 55]. This is in line with research by Masson et al. [56] who found similar taste ratings for low-alcohol wine versus standard wine, however, before tasting, the subjects expected lower quality for the reduced alcohol wine. Studies have shown that low alcohol wine seems to be associated with a lower expected quality [49, 56]. Meillon et al. [49] found that a priori having tasted partially alcohol reduced wine expectations were negative, based on reasons such as; loss of tradition and authenticity of wine, worry about the quality of the wine and wine preservation, and a feeling of tempering with wine. Experimental studies with blind tasting, however, showed similar liking rates for standard wines and wines with reduced alcohol content [51, 56, 57]. It is therefore interesting to investigate the extent to which the lower expected quality based on the label or information cue affects taste ratings, i.e., are the taste ratings different when participants are aware of the reduced alcohol content versus when they are unaware of the alcohol strength. The study by Masson et al. [56], found that the expected quality for low-alcohol labelled wine was significantly lower as compared to a standard wine, however, in that same study, taste ratings of low-alcohol wines (9% alcohol) did not differ from ratings of standard wines (13% alcohol), neither under blind condition nor if participants were aware they were consuming low-alcohol wine [56]. In a recent wine study by Bucher et al., participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions; a low-alcohol (8%) condition, a blinded low-alcohol (8%) condition, or a standard condition Sauvignon Blanc (12.5%). Participants in all three conditions reported similar results for liking of the wine and pleasantness to drink [57]. It should be noted that a further reduction in strength, i.e., <8% may have different results. A study by Meillon et al. [51], found that a reduction below or equal to −4% (resulting in a wine of 9.5%) had no significant impact on wine liking, however when the alcohol reduction reached the value of −5.5% (resulting in a wine of 7.9%), it was significantly disliked by consumers [51].
