The distributors’ view on US wine consumer preferences. A discrete choice experiment

Abstract

This study explored the view that distributors have towards the most valued wine attributes by consumers in the US market, applying the discrete choice experiments technique. Furthermore, to explore the extent to which the distributors’ perspective may reflect consumers’ preferences, the results are analyzed considering previous evidence with consumers in the same market. The results from a scaled multinomial logit, mixed logit and generalized logit models reveal similarities with consumer studies’ findings, especially for the influence of medals/awards, the origin of the wine, grape variety, and price, and it also identifies possible trends in the market. This evidence suggests that data collected using the knowledge and experience of wine distributors generates valuable information through a smaller sample at a lower cost than through applying consumer surveys, which is relevant in large markets with a higher number of consumers.