Women More Likely To Purchase Wine Made By Women, Study Finds

Women make nearly 60% of all wine purchases in the United States, and a new study from Washington State University and Auburn University suggests women-owned wineries could boost sales simply by saying so.

That research indicates labels featuring messages like “proudly made by a woman winemaker” significantly increased women’s intent to buy.  Sales appeal was even stronger when labels included feminine artwork, such as flowers.

Researchers say women were also willing to pay more, about $3.50 extra per bottle, for wines with feminine design cues.

Wine Is A Cultural Product

Christina Chi, coauthor of the research and professor of hospitality business management at WSU’s Carson College of Business, said wine is a cultural product, where the winemaker’s identity shapes the brand.  

“As researchers, we want our work not only to have societal impact, but to have practical significance for the wine industry,” Chi said. “From the response, we saw that women winemakers were following our research and were eager for additional studies about women wine consumers.” 

However, the research indicates women winemakers are often less likely to highlight their names or gender, possibly due to concerns about bias in the male-dominated industry.  The research suggests adding “woman-made wine” to labels or retail displays increased purchase interest, even for wines with more traditionally masculine label designs. 

“Our findings suggest that women winemakers and winery owners can benefit by being more visible,” she said. “The research shows that they can disclose their ownership with confidence and leverage it as a marketing strategy.” 

Research Can Help Highlight The Role Women Play In The Wine Industry

However, when photos of individual women winemakers were added to feminine labels, purchase interest dipped, suggesting consumers may focus more on the message than the person.

More than 1,000 women participated in the study.  Researchers hope the findings will not only help women market their wines, but also spotlight their contributions.

Currently, women make up about 18% of U.S. winemakers.

Click Here to read the research results.

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