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Consumer Knowledge and Preferences for Organic and Sustainably Certified Wines: Lessons from the DACH Region—Germany, Austria, and Switzerland

Author

Listed:
  • Albert Franz Stockl

    (Institute Tourism, Wine Business and Marketing, IMC Krems University of Applied Sciences, 3500 Krems, Austria)

  • Daniel Moscovici

    (Environmental Studies & Sustainability, Stockton University, Atlantic City, NJ 08205, USA)

  • Stephanie Tischler

    (Institute Tourism, Wine Business and Marketing, IMC Krems University of Applied Sciences, 3500 Krems, Austria)

  • Markus Walter Eitle

    (Institute Tourism, Wine Business and Marketing, IMC Krems University of Applied Sciences, 3500 Krems, Austria)

  • Claudia Dolezal

    (Institute Tourism, Wine Business and Marketing, IMC Krems University of Applied Sciences, 3500 Krems, Austria)

Abstract

The DACH geographic region comprises three countries in central Europe: Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. This study seeks to both understand the motivations for purchasing organic and sustainably certified wines in this region and identifies which type of consumer should be targeted for the continued growth of this wine sector. Our methodology includes an online questionnaire resulting in a sample size of 4553 respondents, evenly broken down by country. Our analysis includes simple statistics and more advanced statistical analysis of the dataset. Our results indicate that there is a correlation between wine knowledge, environmental awareness, and the likelihood of buying eco-certified wines. We find that those who are self-proclaimed wine experts have a higher willingness to pay for organic or sustainable certified wines. These customers are generally middle aged, most often male, live in multi-person households, have pursued some level of higher education, and many are self-employed. We believe this study captures the growing trend of organic and sustainable wine certifications. It also identifies who is already convinced and who will need more marketing/education before they are ready to buy organic or sustainable wine.

Suggested Citation

  • Albert Franz Stockl & Daniel Moscovici & Stephanie Tischler & Markus Walter Eitle & Claudia Dolezal, 2024. "Consumer Knowledge and Preferences for Organic and Sustainably Certified Wines: Lessons from the DACH Region—Germany, Austria, and Switzerland," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(11), pages 1-14, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:11:p:4464-:d:1401244
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Alba, Joseph W & Hutchinson, J Wesley, 1987. "Dimensions of Consumer Expertise," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 13(4), pages 411-454, March.
    2. Lionel Valenzuela & Rodrigo Ortega & Daniel Moscovici & Jeff Gow & Adeline Alonso Ugaglia & Radu Mihailescu, 2022. "Consumer Willingness to Pay for Sustainable Wine—The Chilean Case," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(17), pages 1-14, September.
    3. Rao, Akshay R & Monroe, Kent B, 1988. "The Moderating Effect of Prior Knowledge on Cue Utilization in Product Evaluations," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 15(2), pages 253-264, September.
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