What Factors Influence Consumer Selection of Wine in Chinese Restaurants Essay Example

What Factors Influence Consumer Selection of Wine in Chinese Restaurants? Essay Confucius once said regarding Chinese Hospitality, â€Å"How happy to have friends from far away. Indeed, based on this remark, one can see that friendship is regarded as a major ingredient of Chinese hospitality. And on the issue of making friends, Zhang Qian (2001) of the Shanghai Star, explained that there are four ways by which Chinese people make friends: giving a rich banquet, writing poems, undergoing suffering together and drinking wine. Now, if drinking one is placed in parallel with banquet, poems, and suffering, this must mean it carries a great value in terms of friendship and hence, on the area of hospitality. Wine consumption, hence, carries with it hedonistic values and social significance. This has been fueled by greater zeal in improving the quality of live of the individual, causing wine consumption to rise in a number of countries. (Dewald 2003) Today, China is the sixth largest wine-producing nation and its influence has reached the United Kingdom as well (Ray 2008). For instance, one of the major wine-making companies in China which is also the largest and longest–established, the Changyu Company, has been exporting its wine to the UK. According to the famous Australian wine-makerLenz Moser and his partner in London, Iain Muggoch of Bibendum, these wines from China blended in the UK market very well. Now, according to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (2007), UK is among the smallest wine producers in the whole of Europe. Despite this, UK is the largest in the world in terms of wine import. As a matter of fact, UK is considered the international trading center in wine. Because of this, the industry form the importers to the bottlers just continue to thrive. There are other great developments in the region. For instance, the Wine Industry Report published that Rioja was able to harness research of Wine Intelligence Vinitrac and translated it to sales. (Wine Industry Report 2007.) Its neighbor, Germany, was also reported to have reached its highest wine consumption thus far. (Wine Industry Report 2008) Researchers have been to make market efforts more effective such as that of Drummond and Rule (2005). Even winemaking waste are studied as potential substance to prevent tooth decay. (Harpers 2008) We will write a custom essay sample on What Factors Influence Consumer Selection of Wine in Chinese Restaurants? specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on What Factors Influence Consumer Selection of Wine in Chinese Restaurants? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on What Factors Influence Consumer Selection of Wine in Chinese Restaurants? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Because of these healthy signs, as far as market is concerned, it would just be wise to look at how, in concrete terms, does this affect UK and what better place to start than the Chinese restaurants in its capital city, London. This paper, therefore, aims to determine the factors affecting the consumer selection of wines in Chinese restaurants in London. By determining this, it is hoped that significant insights may be derived from this research which could help further the booming wine economy. nbsp; 1.2 Scope and Limitations nbsp; The study give emphasis on leisure management as it determines the factors that influence consumer selection in Chinese restaurants. The study would be confined to London and only in particular, only to the ten restaurants which would be chosen by random sampling. Therefore, neighboring restaurants outside of London will not be considered in this research. The website London-eating provides a list of all candidate restaurants. The Royal China Club in Belgravia, Kam Fung in Bloomsbury, Yi-Ban in Chilsea, the Amoy New China Diner in Covenant Garden, and Shanghai in Docklands are examples of candidate restaurants which had been considered in the random sampling. Other restaurants, such as the Lotus Room, Mandarin, Tai Pan, An Nam Restaurant, ChiKaYan, Eden, Raw Lasan and Wing Yip, although Chinese were not considered because they were outside London. Furthermore, the results of the survey is limited to lunch and dinner only as no survey was done during breakfast time and snack time. For the purpose of this research, lunch is defined as food and drinks served between 10 AM to 2 PM and dinner is defined as the food and drinks served between 6 PM to 10 PM. nbsp; This study is done by qualitatively examining the existing literature available regarding the wine economy in the United Kingdom, in general. The literature review will proceed by first examining general perspectives on wine selection then examining it from the English and Chinese lenses. The former is important because this is the recipient culture of the study while the latter is significant because it is the original culture. Both these perspectives are important to provide a strong basis of the study. Later on, the survey would be presented to validate and contextualize the study, as well as define its parameters. Analysis of the data derived from the survey in the light of the literature review would provide a holistic study of the topic. From then, suitable recommendations can be made regarding wine industry with emphasis on leisure management in Chinese restaurants. nbsp; Currently there are existing literature that one can find in the Internet which can guide an individual in choosing wine and a number of them have been compiled by Sharon Kapnick (2007) of Time. Examples are those given by the experts such as Robert Parker through the Wine Advocate (2008) and Jancis Robinson (2008) but they are on the expert level. Essentially, there are already given factors in choosing wine as those elaborated by the Consumer Union of US (2008) in their Consumer Report. In a nutshell, it involved consideration of the tastes favored, careful consideration of brand, the time when the wine will be drank, and the pairing of wine with the food. These, however are mere technical considerations and are usually the concern of just the connoisseurs. The interest on this research, however, is only on the general level as not all consumer of wines are as sharp as those who would, out of leisure, read the Parker and Robinson. nbsp; Chapter 2 Review of Related Literature nbsp; 2.1 General Perspective on Choosing Drinks nbsp; There are many interrelating factors affecting the way beverages are chosen. That is why food choice models are an effective way of representing the relationships among these factors. According to Shepherd and Sparks (1994), these factors include physical, social and physiological. The physical factor is determined by geography, technology, economics, and season. The social factor involves religion, social customs, advertising, education and social class. Finally, the physiological factor is determined by heredity, allergy, acceptability and nutritional need. Though there are a number of models like this, they all have common features – identification of cultural and socio-economic factors, individual traits and data such as demography, knowledge, attitude and both extrinsic and intrinsic factors to the product. One such model is that which Khan (1981) developed. nbsp; In Khans model, these three factors are expanded into seven categories. First, familiarity, influence of others and emotional meaning associated with the beverage are classified under personal factors. Second, age, gender and similar physical and psychological factors are classified under biological factor. Third, advertising and variations in seasons are classified under extrinsic factor. Fourth, odor, appearance, texture and flavor are classified under intrinsic factor. Fifth, religious, cultural and regional factors are lumped together. Sixth, educational factors such as education regarding nutrition are treated as another category. Finally, income and the cost of beverage are classified under the socio-economic factor which is the last category. nbsp; For the purpose of this research, however, these models can be simplified into just two factors – extrinsic and intrinsic. However, since we are dealing with not just ordinary wine but with a particular type of wine – the Chinese wine – origin also play and important role, making it the third factor. According to Jacoby et. al.(1977), information regarding a product is conducted by the consumer prior to purchase. Both the intrinsic (e.g., specifications, design, and taste) and extrinsic (e.g., guarantees, price, and brand name) all come into play. In particular, Gabbott asserts that this is practiced by wine consumers. For instance, quality judgment is based on wine style, grape variety, processing method, and alcohol content (which makes up the intrinsic factor) and also price, packaging, brand name and labellings (which makes up the extrinsic factor.) (Lockshin and Rhodus, 1993) nbsp; Like the first two factors discussed, the country of origin has significant influence on the evaluation of consumers when they dont know much about the true quality of the product of country in question. (Elliot Cameron, 1994 ; Huber McCann, 1982). Wall et. al. (1991) went even further to say that more that price and brand, the country of origin is a major consideration in assessing product quality. nbsp; 2.2 Chinese Perspectives on Wine Drinking nbsp; No study on Chinese wine would be complete without an examination of its original context. According to Hrayr Berberoglu (2008), a Professor Emeritus of Hospitality and Tourism Management specializing in Food and Beverage, he would say that most people may be familiar with the indigenous vine species of Vitis amurensis and Vitis thunbergii and yet would have very low capacity on the enjoyment of western-style wine as up to this time, it is poorly, if not at all, understood. In contrast, the young people who live in key cities in China such as Beijing, Shanghai, Canton, and Xian, would really spend money on wine just to be able to experience and experiment different tastes. While a westerner may found the combination of merlot with coke, a Chinese would not. In fact, they may even add a few ice cubes to cool it as they consider wine a novelty and an â€Å"in† alcoholic beverage. nbsp; For about 1000 years now, Chinese have been enjoying alcohol. Yet until now, wine is not regarded as an alcoholic beverage. In fact, they dont have a word for wine. The closes equivalent is â€Å"Chiew† which is actually some distilled or fermented drink that that is harsh, burning, and stinging as opposed to the refined, smooth, fruity, and refreshing liquid people regards as wine. An example of this is   a liquor called â€Å"baijiu† which was derived from grapes but is composed of almost pure alcohol. (Reiss 2007) nbsp; According to historical records, grape seeds from Uzbekistan was brought by Gen. Chang Chien in China during the Han Dynasty around 121-136 BC. These seeds were planted in the Xingjian and Xian which was called Shaanxi then. There was also unclear reference in the 7th century AD to wine materials as being imported from the West – Tashkent, in particular. nbsp; Traditionally, the ingredients for Chiew are millet, sorghum and rice. Chiew is served before and after meals in small cups (as opposed to the Western concept of wine glasses) while listening to music. Moreover, it is never consumed alone – it has to be served with food. nbsp; Towards the dawn of the 19th century, the Chang Yu Winery in Yantai was established by Zhang Bi Shi after returning from abroad. Using Welschriesling from Austria, he planted vineyards in China. He even employed the Austrian consul as the winemaker. There was, however, no records on the taste of his wine. nbsp; In an interest to cater to foreigners and the diplomatic community, the French founded the Shang Yi Winery in Beijing. By 1949, however, they closed down all wineries except those which were government operated to increase production at the expense of quality. Fermented cereals, colouring solution, sugar, and water were added to   a wine-resembling mixture which was not affordable for those who didnt know anything about wine. Those who did, on the other hand, outrightly rejected it. nbsp; Since the 80s, the Chinese government have encouraged investment in the alcoholic beverage industry. Remy Martin of Cognac fames partnership with the Tianjin Fram Bureau was the first response to this. Later on, the Huadong winery was also established by Hong Kong businessmen in Quingdao (i.e. Tsingtao) and is now managed by a multinational distiller. Other wine companies which sprouted were The Penod-Richard in Beijing which was established in 1987 and the Marco Polo winery in Yantai built in 1990. Aside from these, there was also a winery project called Summer Palace which involved the former Canadian liquor multinational, Seagram. All these used Vitis vinifera. In addition, there were some old vineyards planted by scientists from Russia. They used their own grape varieties – Rkatsiteli, Severnyi and others – and mixed it with Black Hamburg which is famous for its sweet fruit and wines. nbsp; Due to the increasing demand from tourist and the young, as well as the night clubs and Chinese markets, Huadong Winery embarked on the planting of 50 hectares of chardonnay in Shandong. Due to the age of the vines and overproduction, the wines produced were excessively acid, light and needs more body and extract. In addition to this problem, the humidity in China also causes mildew, white rot and oidium diseases, just to name a few. nbsp; Aside from these problems, there was also a marketing problem as average Chinese consumers do not really like grape wines. That is why merlot was being mixed with coke and chardonnay was being mixed with clear soft drinks. Sometimes, even red and white wines are mixed in addition to ice to cool it and soft drinks to produce a sweet taste. What they do like, however, are oxidized alcohol which is the residue of rice win or dry sherry which is a substitute for rice wine in numerous Chinese food recipes. nbsp; nbsp; Presently, China owns approximately 65,000 hectares of vineyards as assessed by Chinas statisticians although most of the fruits harvested was meant to be dried or eaten rather than be used for the purpose of making wine. In fact, only 20% of the grapes harvested was used for this purpose. The 200 wineries in existence in China now try competing with the imported wines from US, Canada, France, Germany and Italy. Right now, Canada seemed to take an advantage as Chinese consumer like their sweet wines and cherish it all the more as its price increases. nbsp; In general, though, the population appears to prefer liquor since it gets them inebriated more quickly despite consumption of small quantities. They consume this usually on social occasions and never as thirst-quenchers like the Europeans. (Balestrini Gamble 2006). Wines from Chardonnay,   rkatsiteli, riesling,   carbanet suvignon, sauvignon blac, and merlot grapes, however, yield only low to medium alcohol contents. Despite this, manufacturers can deliberately raise alcohol levels to 49% as there is now law regulating this. It is for this reason that some Chinese wines are undrinkable if not almost unacceptable. nbsp; 2.3 UK Perspectives on Wine Drinking nbsp; Historically, UK’s wine connection dates all the way back to the time of the Romans. So far, UK is home to 362 registered vineyards which occupy 923 hectares of land. In 2006 alone, it has produced about 3.3 million bottles or an equivalent of 25,000 hectoliters of wine. During the times of the monasteries (by the time of the Conquest of the Normans), vineyards were already maintained in a number of places of 42 of them are recorded in the Doomsday Book (1085-1086). Wine production at this time was focused along the coastal areas. Due to different causes such as the Black Death, depletion of labor, breaking up of monasteries, climate changes and increase imports of wine from France, the Middle Ages up to the 20th century witness a decline in vineyards. After World War II, however, wine was established once more by post war pioneers. Hambledon vineyard in Hampshire was the first one to be established in 1951. (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 2007) The next 30 years witnessed significant developments in the industry up to the point that researches were even undertaken today for the purpose of furthering the wine industry. Even the hot weather in UK helped further its wine industry in recent years. (Madslien 2003). Among the recent findings in the wine industry are as follows: nbsp; The presentation of study made by Lulie Halstead at LIWSF 2007 which was published by Wine Intelligence (2007), she showed emperically if UK consumers place a bearing on organic, Fairtrade, sustainability and environmental issues when it comes to buying wine. The study showed that when it comes to organic and fair trade, there is a high awareness but doesnt directly result to sales. Her results showed that 64% of her respondents are aware of Organic wines and fair trade wines as opposed to 3% biodynamic wine which, according to one respondent, is not even in his vocabulary. Despite this, only 11% and 9% buy organic and fair trade wines respectively. When asked about the reason for buying organic wine, a majority of the respondents (55%) say that its because pf the ill effects of pesticides and fertilizers for the environment. Forty-four percent (44%) say organic wines support smaller producers while 38% say buying and eating natural products makes them feel good. Only 18% of the resp ondents say that organic wine taste better than other type. nbsp; In a parallel study made by Howard Brian (2007), the UK On-trade presents a great opportunities for the wine market in the eary of investment and distribution. Indeed, visibility plays a vital role in the realization of this opportunity. Yet, according to the study, only 25% of the hotels and resturants sampled have wine lists outside while only half have display bottles. Of all the samples, only two have a feature wine racks in the dining area. Usually, the practice of 70% of the respondents serving in white table cloth dining is to present the wine list together with the food menu. There were even three cases in the white table cloth type of dinning that the visitors would have to request the wine list. nbsp; For casual dinning, the situation is no better. In all the restaurants surveyed, only one has a wine list visible outside. Just like in white table cloth restaurants, only 25% of casual dining restaurants have bottles on display while just half would have wine lists at the table or bar. As practiced in the white table cloth restaurants, wine list are also made a part of standard food menu and this holds true for 45% of the respondents. There was also one case of diners having to request for the wine list. nbsp; In Brian’s assessment of the scenario, he expounded of the value of the wine lists as it deals with both the aspect of range and of value. Unfortunately, he discovered that branded wines have very low visibility as only 50% of the top-20 brands can be seen featured on casual dining lists. Further more, there was a lack of customer-facing marketing strategy such as promotions and positioning of branded wines as benchmark. In fact, of the top twenty brands, only the following brands occurred: Hardy’s – once, Gallo – once, Blossom Hill – once, Wolf Blass – twice, Lindermans – once, Montana – twice, Concha y Toro / Casillero del Diablo – thrice, and Rosemount – once. nbsp; In as much as wine list is important, having it is not enough. Help must also be provided in choosing and exploring wine. In the pitiful number of resturants employing wine lists, less than 25% in white table cloth. Sometimes, wine lists are exaggerated in the sense that over 80 wines are listed while some even go over 200, making it overwhelming and unnecessary support for most guests, especially those whose priority is socializing with guests. The scenario is indeed a lot better in casual dining as 80% of those with wine lists include tasting notes and/or recommendations for food pairing. nbsp; Another important consideration is service which Brian defines as the sum of attention and involvement. He observed, based on his study, that on 23% of the sample brought bottle already opened while 50% of the cases involving casual dinning presented bottle not label first. There was also a good number (i.e. 15%) of cases where the bottles was not presented at all to the person who ordered. Even the satisfaction of customers of the wine was hardly checked (15%) in white table cloth restaurants and not at all in casual restaurants. The same is true regarding the inquiring if a second bottle is required – i.e., only 25% in white table cloth restaurants and not at all in casual restaurants, as well as if giving suggestions for dessert after drink – 15% in white table cloth restaurants and not at all in casual restaurants. nbsp; Overall wine experience what not all that bad, though. Strong points include having good selection of wines at most price points with only low-end as the exception, good selections of wine by glass in most locations which compensates of the long (and often overwhelming lists offered in white table cloth restaurants). A small minority in both sectors also encourage consumers to try new wines. The white table cloth sector was particularly commended in having enthusiastic staff who are committed to the wine offer and know how to match the food with the wine. They were also said to be discrete yet attentive – something that causes dinners to be at ease. Lastly, brands in the casual dining sector also have some visibility. nbsp; There were a number of areas, however, that need to be improved. This include having staff with little or no interest in wine at all. Thus, their training was put to good use in selling food but not in wine offers, wasting opportunity. Either for lack of attention or lack of confident, knowledgeable guidance, help and reassurance was not properly extended. Familiar brands were underutilized as they could have been used chiefly as self-choosing tool. nbsp; Brian also found out that there were numerous examples of serving staff having little or no interest in wine. They also suggest uncertain customers just to have house wines as default, if not decline wine altogether. Only the casual dinning sector made use of familiar brands as a tool for self-choosing. Dinners were also not encouraged nor supported to trade or try new wines in both sectors. Furthermore, wines are very rarely viewed to be as important as food for offer. Majority of the sample also fail to give attention to marketing and promotion of wine. nbsp; Consequently, consumers fall back on self-selection because wine names may be unfamiliar, there is pressure to choose hurriedly to give way to socializing or business, there’s a long or not understandable list of wines in the white table cloth sector and there is a lack of skills and enthusiastic staff to mitigate risk in the case of casual dining. They also perceive an unbalanced high-end pricing with respect to the price of key main dish in the case of the white tablecloth sector. nbsp; 2.4 Market Opportunities nbsp; According to Lulie Halstead (2005), the UK wine market is the largest and most dynamic market for imported wine in the world. It’s worth is estimated to range from 7 to 9 billion pounds. Of all alcoholic drinks consumed, wine share about 30% by value. Furthermore, just the 30% of wine consumers account for three-fourths of the consumption. nbsp; There are about 45 million adults in the United Kingdom and only 14 of them are non-wine drinkers. Of the remaining 31 million, eight million drink wine less than once monthly, 11 million drink wine once to thrice monthly and 12 million drink wine at least weekly accounting for 6%, 19% and 75% of off-trade respectively. nbsp; The growth of the wine industry since the year 1995 is remarkable. For instance, market by volume and value is reported to have roughly doubled from that time. Penetration has increased from mere 60% to 68% while the weight of purchase has increased from 15.3 L/ head to 24 L / head in a span of just eight years since 1995. Despite this, the average cost of a 750 mL bottle is growing only at 2% yearly, failing to respond to inflation in the UK. nbsp; Contrary to popular belief that the young (those who are less than 35 years of age) consume much of the wine today, the Lulie’s study show that they only account for 17% of all the wine consumed. Those in age range 35-65 years old all exceed this value. In fact, survey showed that those who are 35-44 years old account for about 21%, 45-54 years old account for about 22%, 55-64 years old account for about 18% and those who are above 65 years old account for about 23% of wine consumption. nbsp; Richard Halstead (2006) identified the different people groups as far as wine consumption is concerned. The first group is called the adventurous connoisseurs. They are broadsheet readers who have a high income. They have a high frequency of consuming wire which may turn on and off and they have high spending and high involvement with wines. The second group of people is called the mainstream at-homers who are the middle-income professionals living in suburban areas. They also have high involvement and have high frequency of wine intake with average spending. They usually drink their wine at home. The third group of people are called the weekly treaters which is composed mainly of young singletons. They have a moderate wine involvement and have a low frequency of – albeit above average spending on – wine consumption. The fourth type of people is called the sociable bargain-hunters who are described as prosperous empty nesters. They also have high frequency of wine intak e (especially on-trade) but low spending on wines. Their involvement with wines ranges from low to moderate. Finally, we have the frugal conservatives who are the low income TV watchers. They have low frequency wine consumption, low spending on wines, and low wine involvement. nbsp; Richard also highlighted the behavior of regular wine drinkers when it comes to buying of wine. Results indicate that wines are bought in specific types of outlets. According to the survey, most regular wine consumers get their goods from either formal restaurant or casual restaurant (i.e. about 80%). Local pubs (about 75%), wine bars (about 65%) and gastro-pub (about 60%) have the lowest ratings. Moreover, gastro-pubs and local pubs are perceive to sell wines which have poor money value. Incidentally, the price of wine on offer is the leading reason why consumers do not buy wine more often (i.e. according to 44% of the respondents). The other reasons involve the quality of the wine (16%), the range of wine (13%) and the lack of retail (by glass) availability (9%) are the next three reasons. nbsp; In an online survey conducted last April 2006 to over 1,330 individuals who are residents of the UK, over 18 years of age, and who drink wine at least once a month, 72%   reported that they drink wine in pubs and bars – a fall from the 76% figure the year before that. If ever they drink wines from these two places, it was only for socializing and done without food. Nineteen percent (19%) of the respondents reported that it was through a birthday, a wedding, or another social celebration. Out of the 34% who drank without a meal, 45% of them drink with friends on a major night out, 21% take wine while they are in a pub or night club, 18% drink with colleagues for business purpose and 6% drink as a form of relaxation. Of the 32% who drink with a meal, 47% drink with a general meal, 35% have a meal with friends and 18% eat with a family or partner. nbsp; The number one reason why people don’t drink in pubs is that they prefer other drinks such as beer and spirits. This has been attested by 40% of the responses. Far second is that they do not go in pubs (19%), they perceive wines in pubs to be too expensive or of poor value (18%), they only drink wine with food (9%), the wines are not properly kept and are of poor quality (5%) and the available selection is poor (3%). nbsp; It was also shown in this study that the propensity to drink wine in pubs and bars decreases with age. Based on the survey, ages 18-24 has 82%; ages 24-34 has 78%; ages 25-54 has 71% and ages 55 and beyond has 67% penetration. Now, regarding the penetration by Wine Intelligence figures, the sociable bargain hunters top the list with 99% followed by the adventurous connoisseurs, weekly treaters, mainstream at-homers and frugal conservatives with 97%, 88%, 87% and 31% respectively. nbsp; It is reported that the most dissatisfied at pubhouses are the higher value consumers who drink wine heavily (i.e., more than twice weekly). They are more involved wine drinkers who are 35-54 years old and either mainstream at-homers and adventutous connoisseurs. In order to have them more often in this places, it is suggested that wines be looked after properly, prices be clearly displayed, price of the wine be reasonable, the brand must be reconizable and the description must be acceptable. Putting all these findings together, the need of consumers must be met by reassuring them in terms of value and quality. nbsp; In conclusion, the survey shows the top ten ways by which consumer would be encouraged to buy more wine: (1) More promotions/special pricing/discounts – 72%; (2) More tasting opportunities for wines which are not familiar – 70%; (3) Wide range of choices for wines that are less than 10 pounds a bottle – 68%; (4) Providing more selections of the type of wines consumers usually drink in their homes – 66%; (5) Bar staff has to have more knowledge about wine – 65%; (6) Better presentation of wine on or behind the bar – 62%; (7) Bar staff having greater zeal in helping customers choose wine – 61%; (8) Providing more famous brands as choices – 55%; (9) Having more wines available by glass – 54% and (10) Having more selection of wines in the 10-15 pounds per bottle price range. nbsp; 2.5 Future Opportunities nbsp; Lulie Halstead (2005) predicted the future trends of wine consumption based on political, economic, social and technological factors. In particular, the consumer model was based on how the 2015 UK government would most likely treat wine, what are the predictable economic influences, what would be the consumer relationship with wine and how would new technology impact the way wine products are both in and out of the country. nbsp; Based on her research, the wine penetration would continue to increase, albeit slightly, to 71% compared to 68% in 2004. This is also predicted to be the highest natural attainable value as 20% of the population claim not to drink alcohol. In terms of consumption, it is predicted that 35 liter per head for those who are above 15 years old would be reached at this time. Again, this is the natural ceiling which is noted to be way less than the 50 liters per heat consumed in southern countries of Europe. nbsp; In terms of population, it is likely that those who are 45 years old or older will consume more than 67% of all wines in the UK while those who are below this age will consume the rest. Purchase behavior will take less precedence to consumption occasion as a driving force in choosing wine. As it is today, price and country of origin would be of greates value in terms of serving as key product choice criteria. In effect, word of mouth, recommendations from third party, as well as label information in the front and the back of the product would also be of significant interest to people. nbsp; Branding is another factor that is important in choosing wine while sales promotion may take on a less important role. It is expected that consumer scepticism of the real value of the offer would increase with the supplier scepticism. In addition, there would also be more occasions to drink wine so there would be growth in the sale of casual wine drinking at home weekly and on-trade drinking occasions as there would be an increase in the selection and trust level of consumers. An increase in health consciousness would also be a factor, causing people to prefer wine over beer and spirits. Diversity and experimentation is also likely to prevail but value will continue to be considered at all price points. As there would be continued disloyalty any particular brand, there would be more producer brands and their increase in market share would increase as well. As there would be a general increase in the supply of quality wine on a global scale, prices are expected to low