Generation Y preferences for wine: An exploratory study of the US market applying the best‐worst scaling

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to explore differences in wine preferences between Generation Y and older cohorts in the USA. Design/methodology/approach - A total of 260 US consumers participated in a web-based survey that took place in April 2010. The best-worst scaling method was applied measuring the level of importance given by participants to a list of most common attributes used in choice of wine. Independent sample t-tests were applied to compare the best-worst scores between Generation Y and older cohorts. Findings - Differences were found in the level of importance that Generation Y gives to wine attributes in comparison to older cohorts. Generation Y was found to attach more importance to attributes such as "Someone recommended it", "Attractive front label" and "Promotional display in-store", whereas older cohorts gave more importance to attributes such as "I read about it" and "Grape variety". This suggests that Generation Y preferences for wine are driven by marketing added-value activities such as promotions and labelling, whereas limited importance is given to information about wine, reflecting lack of subjective knowledge, experience and involvement about wine. Research limitations/implications - This research adds to generation-based research in wine marketing and contributes towards a better understanding of the differences between generation cohorts in relation to their preferences towards wines. Originality/value - This study is among the first to compare wine preferences of Generation Y with older cohorts using the best-worst scaling method.