Tag: research

Wine News: Light-to-moderate wine drinking can lower heart attack risk

A recent study published in the peer-reviewed journal BMC Medicine has found that light-to-moderate wine drinking can be beneficial to your health, including those with heart disease.

According to the study, entitled ‘Association of alcohol consumption with morbidity and mortality in patients with cardiovascular disease’, patients with heart disease who drank six grams of alcohol per day (on average) were associated with a 50 % risk reduction of heart attack, stroke, and even death.

Even those who averaged eight grams of alcohol consumption per day would see a 27% reduction in death risk compared with those who did not drink, the study found.

Vinepair states that in the United States, an average pour contains 14 grams of alcohol.

Comprising assessment of over 48,000 patients with heart disease, the research found that, while even increased alcohol consumption up to 62 grams per day was not associated with a heightened risk of heart attack, “non-drinking patients should not be encouraged to take up light drinking because of well-known adverse effects on other health outcomes, such as cancers.”

“Our findings suggest that people with CVD (cardiovascular disease) may not need to stop drinking in order to prevent additional heart attacks, strokes or angina, but that they may wish to consider lowering their weekly alcohol intake,” study co-author Chengyi Ding said, per Reuters.

She did note once again however that “Alcohol consumption is associated with an increased risk of developing other illnesses.”

Study – https://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12916-021-02040-2

 

#winenews #wine #winelovers #ww #winewednesday #winescience #instawine #winestagram #winetasting #winetime #redwine #whitewine #rosewine #wineinmoderation

Young red wine is found to be more beneficial than aged wine, study finds

A recent study of 16 wines from Australia and New Zealand has found levels of healthy antioxidants, existing mainly in red grapes, decreased significantly over time.

CQUniversity lead researcher Mani Naiker said the compound, trans-resveratrol, was proven to have cardiovascular, anti-inflammatory, and anti-diabetic effects.

“The more you consume this compound in your food or in beverages, it is perceived to give you better health benefits,” Dr Naiker said.

“When we compare younger bottled wines with mature red wines, we have proven that as the wine ages the concentration of this important bioactive compound decreases by about 75 percent over a 16-month period.

“That is a huge decrease in the concentration of this particularly important health-benefiting compound.”

Lead researcher Dr. Mani Naiker states that the compound is proven to have cardiovascular, anti-inflammatory, and anti-diabetic effects.

The study published in the Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research, found the concentration decreased in some wines by as much as 96 percent.

After the initial resveratrol levels were measured, the bottles were resealed and stored in darkness in their original packaging.

“Irrespective to where we got the red wine from, which variety it was, the process of that compound, the loss was the same,” Dr Naiker said.

“I might just leave it with the French paradox that having a glass of red with a meal every day is good for your health.

“Now you know, you might want to go with a young red rather than an old one.”

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/ajgw.12449

Wine in a can is a robust trend and not a short-term fad

With the traditional wine market in the US growing at an increasingly slow pace, successful wineries 10 years from now will be those that have adapted to a different consumer with different values.  Wine in a can is no new thing; it was first seen in World War 1 when the French army had their wine rations delivered this way.

WICresearch.com has done an in-depth study of the drivers that are affecting the boom in the wine-in-can market and it is predicted that the trend will continue to grow as it has done exponentially in its infancy.  The most important factors to consumers when it comes to wine-in-can are taste, quality and value, followed by convenience, portability and fun.  From 2017-2108 the wine-in-can market grew by 43%.  It is a market that cannot be ignored as the industry needs new growth places.

There are 6 main drivers that are promoting the expansion of wine-in-can, as follows:

Convenience

This is the most obvious benefit and relates to the carrying, opening and finishing of the product.  One is able take a can where it is illegal or inconvenient to bring a bottle or any glass.  The single-serve size also allows for zero waste of the contents, and it removes the need for traditional wine paraphernalia: foil cutters, corks screws. Under the convenience banner, the wine vending machine is also a trend that is starting to gain traction, certainly opening new markets in terms of novelty and availability.

Occasion expansion

This is based on both location and event. Location involves places where taking a bottle of wine is not suitable nor practical: boats, beach, swimming pools.  Event expansion is where offering a single-serve beverage is desirable e.g.BBQ, picnic.

It is interesting that wine-in-can drivers such as these are not cannibalizing the existing market with its meagre growth of 1-4% but it is rather creating an extension of markets or even new markets and thus creating strong double-digit growth.

Sustainability and cost savings

Aluminum is 100% recyclable and so the environmental footprint is greatly reduced, and the product attracts an eco-friendly consumer who values sustainability.  Research has shown that 51% of Millennials check the packaging before purchase for sustainability claims.

 Facts:

  • Sustainable products grew 4x the rate of non-sustainable products (Nielsen)
  •  Consumers are willing to pay 15% more for sustainable packaging (McKinsey)
  • 66% of consumers will pay more for sustainable brands (Nielsen)

Packaging in aluminum cans also produces a saving of 15-20% with some manufacturers suggesting 40% due to efficiency of packing and transport, lack of breakage, and lighter weight.  Therefore, carbon emissions for transportation are also lower. Also, savings occur in establishments serving wine by the glass, as there is total accuracy over the serving size with no shrinkage.

Portion control and variety

Apart from the benefit of not having to open a whole bottle when you would like to enjoy a glass, there is also no issue of dealing with unfinished wine.  The wine-in-can movement is very popular with restaurants that have less waste and leftover wine, or the problem of customers wanting to cork their bottle to take it home which is illegal in many parts of the world.

Due to the small serving, wine drinkers can enjoy different varieties of wine with different courses, instead of a full bottle of the same wine.

Visual image and branding

An aluminum can has a 360-degree label rather than just a front and a back.  It gives the product a cooler, more photographable, Instagrammable look.

“With 64% of consumers trying a new [wine] product simply because the package catches their eye, packaging design is one of the most underappreciated marketing levers” (Freeman, 2016).

Designers can go so far as to make the packaging glow in the dark.

Quality

“You actually have a really stable environment in a can…There’s no UV penetration or oxygen exchange like there would be through a cork and glass bottle” (Drinks News, 2018).

For still and sparkling wine, the integrity of the product can easily be preserved.  The dark, oxygen-free environment for still wine is ideal while for sparkling, the effervescence is contained in a small space.

There is ongoing research for different types of cans, linings and filling systems to ensure further integrity of the product as well as preserving its future life which is, as yet, unproven.

It is interesting to note that the wine-in-can purchase is not affected by gender, education nor generational group.  There is also no difference in self-reported wine knowledge i.e. consumers with a high level of wine knowledge are just as likely to buy wine in cans.

In a 2019 a blind taste test of wine-in-can versus wine-in-bottle was conducted. The identical wine from the same winery in both packaging formats was poured.  There were 4 different varietals and the experiment was done in 2 different locations.  51.1% said they either preferred the wine-in-can or that they could tell no difference between the two.

Wine-in-can is a growing market and innovation and interesting marketing tools are emerging every day.  It will be a very interesting space to watch over the next decade.

WICresearch.com

Jenny Ratcliffe-Wright
Cape Wine Master

 

Baffled by Wine Lists? You’re not alone…

A staggering 73% of Brits are intimidated by restaurant wine lists according to a recent study

A staggering 73% of Brits are intimidated by restaurant wine lists according to a recent study, while 58% don’t feel they have enough wine knowledge to order with confidence.

As reported by The Express, the study of over 2,000 people, run by Californian wine giant E&J Gallo’s Dark Horse brand, found that nearly three-quarters of Brits find restaurant wine tomes intimidating.

The study also found that 36% of participants weren’t sure what they had to look out for when a waiter passes them a taster of wine to try.

Encouragingly, Brits were found to spend £25 a bottle on dinner party wine, with one in ten splashing out £100 on a special occasion drop.

Disappointingly, however, 29% of participants admitted to only buying wine when it’s on offer, with 23% found to be creatures of habit that always buy wine from the same country or region.

Only 18% of those surveyed bought wine specifically to match the food that they’re eating. Wine personality Joe Wadsack, co-host of BBC show Food & Drink, has teamed up with Gallo in a bid to enlighten British wine drinkers.

“It’s amazing how far a little useful information can take you. Knowing what food tastes good with what sort of wine, and more importantly why, is very useful information to have,” he said.

“This is not just because it will increase your enjoyment of your food but more importantly because you will avoid matches that don’t work. Some food and wine combinations clash and can make the food taste downright odd and we don’t want that.

“The science of food and wine matching is more about avoiding howlers than slightly improving your meal,” he added.

Sources:
Drinks Business
The Express

 

A Glass of Wine in the Shower? Study Explores New Occasions When Millennials Drink Wine

“I like wine in the shower….. I like to take a bottle of wine to share with friends when we go hiking…. I drink wine while reading my books to relax……When is there an occasion to not drink wine? If I could find a wine that went well with my Cheerio’s in the morning then I would even have it for breakfast!”

These are just a few quotes from Millennials describing new occasions to drink wine. As Millennials have been credited with driving much of the wine consumption growth in the US over the past several years, it is useful for wine marketers to examine the types of occasions in which this generation drinks wine. Therefore a study of 467 Millennials was launched by the Wine Business Institute at Sonoma State University. The results support a recent finding from Wine Opinions showing that nearly 60% of US consumers now drink wine without meals.

The Importance of Wine Occasion

From a wine marketing perspective, “wine occasion,” can be defined as the place and time in which the wine is consumed. Historically, the literature suggests that the main occasions for wine were as a beverage with meals and for religious reasons. Though still used for both of these purposes today, there is less emphasis on the religious component and more on wine in other contexts. Indeed some researchers have found that segmenting by occasion is more relevant for wine positioning and promotion that demographic based segmentation.

Common Wine Occasions

There are a variety of wine occasions in the research literature, so for the purposes of this study, the 6 most common occasions were used (with meals at home, formal restaurant, casual restaurant, and without meals for special occasions, to relax after work, and at a bar). In addition, 9 other occasions which had been cited in previous Millennial research were added (see Figure 1). The 467 Millennials (64 % female; 36% male; 90% from California; 56% core and 44% marginal drinkers) completed an online survey asking them to rate how often they consumed wine in the 15 occasions.

Figure 1: Frequency of Millennial Wine Consumption by Occasion
1 = never; 2 = Rarely; 3= Sometimes; 4 = Often; 5 = Almost Always

The results (Figure 1) show that the two most common situations are Special Occasions and Meals at Formal Restaurants. These are considered traditional wine consuming occasions for all generations and do not reflect any specific differences for Millennials. However, from here the data change with Meals at Friend’s House and Socializing with Friends coming in at third and fourth. These reflect Millennial values of collaboration and work/life balance. It also illustrates that Millennials view wine as more of a social lubricant than perhaps previous generations, and this may be part of the reason they are consuming wine in increased quantity. Another higher scoring occasion, Wine While Cooking, may reflect the increased number of TV cooking shows which have been linked to the growth of wine in the US. The fact that drinking wine At a Bar scored lower may have to do with Millennials reporting, in interviews, that wine at bars is too expensive.

New Occasions Identified by Millennials

The survey included an open-ended question asking Millennials to type in other occasions in which they consume wine. A total of 192 occasions were listed, including the 4 situations described in the quotes in the first paragraph of this article. When analyzed using a thematic coding process, 9 new occasion categories were identified. Table 1 lists these in order of frequency mentioned, with Wine Tastings scoring highest. This is most likely because many California Millennials often plan a wine tasting event or outing as a form of entertainment and a way to socialize. The second highest identified theme was Family Get Togethers, which supports the premise that many Millennials were introduced to wine by their parents. What is especially interesting about these occasions is they do NOT center on meals, but instead are primarily social settings to drink wine.

Table 1: New Occasions Identified By Millennials


• Wine Tastings

• Family Get Togethers

• Special Events (graduation, weddings, etc.)

• Friend’s Night

• Parties

• Theme Nights (movies, games, etc.)

• Wine Education (class, seminar, etc.)

• Date Nights/Romance

• On Vacation

Preferred Style of Wine By Occasion Category

Millennials were also asked to identify their preferred style of wine in meal and non-meal occasions. Figure 2 illustrates the results by frequency, and highlights the fact the sparkling wine and/or Champagne is used frequently by Millennials in non-meal occasions. It also shows the preference for dry red wines in both situations. The types of wine least consumed in both meal and non-meal occasions are dessert wine and wine mixed as a cocktail. Interestingly sweet white (semi-dry riesling, muscat, etc.) and sweeter reds (fruity malbec, zinfandel, etc.) scored higher in non-meal occasions, perhaps explaining some of the rise in popularity of these varietals. If they are consumed without food, then a fruitier, slightly sweeter style is more approachable.

Figure 2: Millennial Preferred Wine Type by Meal and Non-Meal Occasions (Frequency)

Implications for Wine Marketers

In summary this study provides some useful tips for wine marketers. Since the two highest scoring wine situations for Millennials are Special Occasions and with Meals at a Formal Restaurant – the same as previous generations – this suggests that it is still possible to reach multiple generation segments with the same or similar promotions and advertising.

At the same time, the study highlights the fact that Millennials see wine as a beverage to enhance social occasions, such as Meals at Friend’s House and Socializing with Friends. Furthermore, Millennials have expanded the number and types of wine drinking occasions by adding Wine Tastings, Family Get Togethers, Friends Night, Theme Nights and other social situations. These types of occasions are less formal, and show wine holding a more integral part in the American culture than previously recognized. It is possible that through Millennials wine is becoming more a part of everyday life in the US. This is a new aspect that wine marketers can emphasize in advertising and promotions, as well as encourage via social networking media on the Internet. Furthermore, by linking into these motivations of socialization, relaxation, and fun regarding wine, marketers will be able to relate better to Millennial desires.

Liz Thach, MW