(Wines&Vines) - E. & J. Gallo Winery executive says consumers in ambitious survey want wine to be fun

Modesto, Calif.—A large-scale survey of alcohol beverage consumers commissioned by E. & J. Gallo Winery turned up an interesting mix of findings that confirmed certain wine business platitudes but also exposed some foundational changes in attitudes. 

The KUBE study conducted by Luth Research (www.LuthResearch.com) quizzed 23,000 survey respondents and explored nearly 100,000 alcohol beverage purchase and usage occasions. Participants were recruited via a national online panel between Sept. 5, 2017, and Nov. 10, 2017.

 It was not surprising to learn that 73% of wine drinkers think that wine pairs better with meals than any other beverage, but the thousands of wineries trying to expand sales of dry wines might be surprised to learn that 60% of wine drinkers say they prefer a little sweetness. And 66% of consumers in general change their drink depending on where they are and what they’re doing.