Minority Report: Diversifying Consumer Demographics in the Wine Industry

Students: Sabrina Carney, Abrea Tillman, Brooke Garcia

Faculty Mentor: Inhaeng Jung

Engineering

College of Science, Technology, and Business

Wine is seen as a high-status consumer good predominantly consumed by white and affluent consumers (Inglis & Ho, 2022). People who have access to wine are those with financial and social leverage. This phenomenon poses a question: What drives people who traditionally do not engage with wine to get involved and be interested in consuming wine? We will recruit 500 wine-consuming adults aged twenty-one (21) and above from diverse ethnic backgrounds (Caucasian, Asian, Black, and Hispanic) to join our survey via Prolific. Our 10-minute survey includes questionnaires regarding demographics, social identity, acculturation, and attitudes toward wine, aiming to explore the influence of cultural and ethnic identity on wine consumption behaviors. It is expected that consumers from different ethnic backgrounds will display distinct perceptions and consumption behaviors towards wine. Cultural factors, traditions, and social norms within each group likely influence these differences. Those with stronger ethnic identification might have a less favorable perception of wine, perceiving it as a product that is culturally foreign or irrelevant to their ethnic background. Acculturation is expected to correlate with increased openness to wine, especially among non-traditional wine consumers. Those who are more acculturated may have more favorable perceptions of wine and a higher likelihood of consuming it. These findings could help wine producers and marketers develop strategies to appeal to diverse consumer groups by addressing their specific cultural values, identity, and acculturation levels.