Relationship of Wine Neophobia Levels with Demographic Factors and Wine Consumption Behavior in Spanish Consumers

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BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Wine neophobia identifies segments of consumers who are reluctant to consume new or unfamiliar wines. This study examined the wine neophobia levels of a cohort of 376 Spanish wine consumers and the differences in demographics, wine consumption, and food neophobia according to their degree of wine neophobia. To that end, a specific survey with demographic data, wine consumption habits, and neophobia levels was designed and administered to Spanish consumers. METHODS: The Wine Neophobia Scale (WNS) and Food Neophobia Scale (FNS) were used, and data collected were statistically analyzed (chi-square test, Pearson correlation analyses, and principal component analysis (PCA)). Two different clusters were identified: high- and low-wine-neophobic groups (HWN and LWN, respectively). RESULTS: Results indicated significant differences in gender, marital status, and employment between groups. The HWN group was generally formed by women and singles, whereas participants with a partner (not married) and employed individuals were mostly in the LWN group. Overall, HWN consumers were characterized by consuming wine less frequently, preferring fruity and "softer" wines (e.g., whites and sparkling wines) or wine mixed with soda, and being willing to pay less money ("less than 5 €") to buy wine on a daily basis than low-neophobics, who preferred red reserve wines with higher sourness and astringency and were willing to pay for more expensive wines. Finally, a direct relation has been observed between wine and food neophobia, as the LNW group reported lower scores on items relative to greater openness to the consumption of new foods. CONCLUSIONS: The present study provides for the first time insights into the relationship between wine neophobia, demographics, and wine consumption behavior in Spanish consumers, which can be useful to the wine industry for the development of personalized wines. This approach can aid wine market segmentation as well as product innovation.

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