New Research Offers Broad Opportunity for Wine Industry

Napa CA, December 00, 2010  --  Reversing over a century of industry thinking, a revolutionary study shows that psychology and physiology play a far greater role in consumer choice than previously recognized.  The Wine Consumer Analysis 2010 demonstrates that a Moscato or White Zinfandel please the most sensitive tasters while most Cabernets suit a small minority of tolerant tasters.

Authors of the study conclude that an understanding of the principles outlined in this report will enable wine producers, marketers and sellers to understand and cultivate more consumers and promote a much wider variety of wine styles from around the world. It also shows how the industry can unite to address the intimidation which overwhelms a large percentage of consumers and prevents them from consuming wine more frequently.

 The study of over a thousand consumers was conducted over past years in conjunction with the Lodi Consumer Wine Awards. Study originator Tim Hanni, MW, realized, "We have uncovered glaring errors and misunderstandings in the wine industry which have led to the disenfranchisement of millions of consumers and loss of wine market share to other beverages."

 By studying the roles that physiology, psychology and neurology play in palatal preferences, this consumer phenotyping will orient consumers to a greater diversity of wines at every price point.  "When people's palates are 'trained' via conventional wine education, we're often telling them it is not okay to like what they like, then we use the tired fallback – trust your own palate," Hanni said.  Study co-author Virginia Utermohlen, M.D., of Cornell's Division of Nutritional Sciences points out, "The industry is guilty of alienating the largest segments of consumers who then choose other sweeter beverages or even stop drinking wine."

 "Our research shows that there is, and always has been, a huge international population that demands sweeter tastes and this important segment will be with us indefinitely," Hanni says. "As consumers learn to understand and trust their own sensory sensitivity and follow their passions, producers will learn to accommodate this preference. We will see more confident consumers enjoying wine more frequently and they will spend more for wines that historically have been undervalued. This reality in no way impinges on the enjoyment and sales of drier, delicate or intense wines. Rather, an amazingly large, untapped and immediate opportunity exists.”

The Consumer Wine Analysis 2010 (39 pages, $500) is available from www.timhanni.com. For further information, phone 707/337-0327 or contact tim@timhanni.com.  A preliminary summary without charge is available at www.timhanni.com.

Media Inquiries:

Harvey Posert 707/963-2685 or hposertpr@comcast.net

Patricia Schneider 415/717-7595 or psa.patricia@gmail.com

TIM HANNI MW

Born in Cleveland, Hanni was educated in the Miami area and began his culinary career there at Tampa’s Bern’s Steak House. He was general manager of wine and food operations in Atlanta before coming to Napa Valley. He lives in Napa and is married to Kate Hanni, leading airline passengers’ rights activist.

Known for his engaging style, irreverent humor and elite professional status in the international wine and food community, Tim Hanni MW as been hailed as a guru, visionary and dubbed the Wine Anti-Snob by the Wall Street Journal. In 1990, Hanni was awarded the Master of Wine title, becoming one of the first of two Americans to achieve what is regarded as the highest accolade in the international wine industry. He also holds the Certified Wine Educator credential from the Society of Wine Educators and has worked as a professional Chef. His seminars, wine tastings, culinary demonstrations, keynote presentations and dazzling demonstrations of sensory perception offer unique perspectives on many facets of wine enjoyment and matching wine  and food, Hanni provides his audiences with the most modern, innovative and inclusive approach to personalizing the enjoyment  of wine and food for people at every level.