Sonoma State research challenges assumptions about wine tourists
A new study from Sonoma State University’s Wine Business Institute is challenging a common assumption in wine tourism: that visitors from the same country want the same kind of experience.
The findings are especially relevant to Sonoma County, where wineries welcome visitors from around the world. The study suggests that instead of designing separate experiences for different nationalities, wineries may benefit more from understanding what individual visitors want.
The study was led by Dr. InHaeng Jung, assistant professor at the Wine Business Institute, and funded by a Great Wine Capitals International Research Grant. Jung and her research team surveyed 809 wine consumers in France, mainland China, South Korea, and the United States. They also interviewed 14 wine professionals across six markets.
The researchers identified four types of winery visitors. Some wanted a complete winery experience. Some were primarily interested in the wine and preferred expert guidance. Others wanted to explore independently, while some showed limited interest in the visit itself. All four types appeared in each country in roughly similar proportions.
“Nationality may help wineries decide which markets to target,” Jung said. “But it does not tell you what an individual visitor wants. You have to ask.”
A visitor’s relationship with wine was a much stronger indicator. Wine involvement, perceived wine knowledge, and the values people associated with wine explained about twice as much variation in visitor preferences as nationality. Together, these factors explained about eight times as much as age, gender, education, and income.
The findings also challenge some common assumptions about wine tourism. Hands-on activities – including harvest work, cellar tours, and blending sessions – ranked lowest among the four experience categories in all four countries, including the United States. Visitors placed greater value on learning about wine and enjoying an attractive setting.
American and French respondents showed the strongest preference for the setting over hands-on activities.
The researchers found that preferences for guided tastings were especially difficult to predict. Neither nationality nor wine knowledge provided a reliable explanation. About one in four respondents in every country strongly preferred to explore independently. This suggests that tasting rooms offering only guided experiences may not meet the needs of a substantial share of visitors.
Jung recommends giving guests a choice between guided and independent formats, ideally during the booking process.
For Sonoma County wineries, the study points to several changes that would require little additional cost. Wine professionals interviewed for the study described softer U.S. demand and growing resistance to tasting fees. Jung suggests using tasting notes that connect with visitors’ everyday experiences, asking how guests plan to enjoy a wine before recommending a food pairing, and testing simpler service formats with all visitors rather than creating separate programs for different nationalities.
The report also includes a two-minute visitor questionnaire that wineries can add to their booking process at no cost.
Jung presented the findings in October at the OIV World Congress of Vine and Wine in Ningxia, China. Approximately 200 attendees followed the presentation in six languages. She later presented the research at the Great Wine Capitals Knowledge Day in Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand, to approximately 120 wine and tourism leaders from member regions, including Napa Valley.
“Don’t confuse where someone is from with what kind of wine visitor they are,” said Susan R. Lin, MW, president of the Asian Wine Association of America, in her review of the report.
The study’s co-investigators were Anqi Luo of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Tian Ye of Leeds Beckett University, and Magalie Dubois of Burgundy School of Business.
Jung directs the Grape Expectations Research Lab (GERL) at the Wine Business Institute. The lab studies how people choose, buy and experience wine, with a focus on wine tourism, sustainable consumption and wine marketing. Sonoma State students work in the lab as research team members. They help design studies, collect and analyze data, and co-author research with faculty and industry partners. The lab also works directly with wineries and industry groups to turn its findings into tools they can use, such as the visitor questionnaire in this report.
Based in the heart of Sonoma County, the Wine Business Institute connects academic research with the needs of the wine and tourism industries. Wineries interested in receiving the report, or in partnering with the lab on future research, can contact GERL at winelab@sonoma.edu.