Sobering up with the latest wine trends

While still remaining a small portion of the overall wine market in Australia, no- and low-alcohol (NoLo) wines have expanded significantly in the past decade. This growth is expected to continue as the category now incorporates mid-alcohol wines (~7–10% alcohol by volume), with IWSR forecasts indicating an expected growth of around 6% from 2023–2027.  

In order to find out more about what's driving consumer growth in this market, researchers from Adelaide Business School at The University of Adelaide conducted a scoping review of no-, low- and mid-alcohol (NLM) wines — and their findings indicate a range of factors, including the wine businesses themselves playing a pivotal role. 

“The global wine industry is evolving rapidly in response to growing health-conscious and moderation-driven drinking trends,” said Dr Hannah Ford, who authored the review in the Journal of Marketing Management. “The review proposes that appeal to NLM wines is influenced by social factors, habits, self-identity, emotional responses and product tangibility. This mirrors the elements of a ‘SHIFT’ behavioural framework [Social, Habit, Individual, Feelings and cognition, Tangibility] where future research can look deeper into the effect of these key psychological factors in messaging.”

The study also emphasises the crucial role wine businesses — particularly retailers and marketers — play in shaping consumer perceptions. Findings highlighted the importance of market acceptance, positive affirmations and customer engagement to drive sustainable consumption, which aligns with the ‘MAPED’ framework (Market acceptance, Appreciation and rewards, Positive affirmation, Empathy in communication, Dematerialisation) of understanding behaviours by considering motivation, action and prompts.

The review, which analysed 38 peer-reviewed research articles, underlines that although research in this space has expanded over the past decade, deeper, theory-driven insights remain limited.

“The majority of studies reviewed low- or reduced-alcohol wines. Meanwhile, few focused on no-alcohol wine, and even fewer compared both no- and low-alcohol products,” Ford said.

“Early literature on no- and low-alcohol wines, from 1990 to 2000, identified the need for research in response to the increasing alcohol strength of wines; but more recently, research has been driven by the rise of the ‘sober-curious consumer’ and broader ‘moderation’ trends.”

The first publication in the field of consumer behaviour and NoLo wines dates back to 1994, yet the first study focused specifically on consumer perceptions of no-alcohol wine was not conducted until 2012, nearly 20 years later. Since then, publications have more than doubled in the past decade, highlighting growing interest in the topic.

“The review identifies key gaps in current literature, including the need for more research across different wine styles; for example, sparkling, rosé, white and red as well as various alcohol strengths,” Ford said.

“It also stresses the importance of exploring cross-cultural and psychographic differences in understanding consumer behaviour. The review calls for more realistic study designs, including sensory tastings and choice-based tasks, to better predict purchasing behaviour.”

Ford said the research is important in helping to shape the future of the wine industry.

“Adelaide Business School is proud to be at the forefront of advancing research in the emerging NML wine category,” she said, with The University of Adelaide being home to a NoLo wine research facility.

“This research provides essential insights for academics, marketers and wine producers aiming to support the global shift towards more sustainable and health-conscious wine consumption.”

Ford suggests future research should focus on emotional responses, cross-cultural influences, implicit decision-making, and the application of behavioural theories such as the Cognitive Dissonance and Behavioural Reasoning Theories.

Image credit: iStock.com/Dariia Chernenko