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Consumer Sensory Evaluations of Wine Quality: The Respective Influence of Price and Country of Origin

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 June 2012

Roberta Veale  and
Pascale Quester
Roberta Veale
Affiliation:
Business School, The University of Adelaide, 233 North Tce, Adelaide, South Australia 5000. Phone: (61) 88303 5687. E-mail:Roberta.Veale@adelaide.edu.au
Pascale Quester
Affiliation:
Business School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005. Phone: (61) 88303 4843. E-mail:Pascale.Quester@adelaide.edu.au
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Abstract

The purpose of the study was to investigate the respective influences of price and country of origin as extrinsic cues on consumer evaluations of wine quality when all intrinsic cues are experienced through sensory perception. Taste testing experiments were conducted (N = 263) using Chardonnay as the test product in a 3 (country of origin, COO) × 3 (price) × 3 (acid level) conjoint analysis fractional factorial design. Price and COO were both found to be more important contributors to perception of wine quality than taste. Reliance on extrinsic cues was found to remain extremely robust even when all intrinsic cues were available through sensory experience for respondent evaluation. The research demonstrated that even when evaluating a product through consumption, consumer belief in the price/value schema dominates quality assessment. These findings mean that marketers cannot assume that intrinsic product attributes, even when experienced, will be weighted and interpreted accurately by consumers. The research significantly advances our understanding of consumers' use of extrinsic cues (price and COO specifically), and their respective influence in their determination of both expected and experienced quality. (JEL Classification: Q11, D12, M31)

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Wine Economics , Volume 3 , Issue 1 , Spring 2008 , pp. 10 - 29
Copyright
Copyright © American Association of Wine Economists 2008

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