NEW STUDY ON ZINFANDEL DRINKERS

Zinfandel drinkers are willing to spend more than $30 on a great bottle of their favorite varietal? Who would have thought? A new research project completed for Zinfandel Advocates and Producers (ZAP) was administered to help producers better understand and market their products to Zinfandel drinkers. The survey (conducted by Full Glass Research) unveiled some lesser known facts about Zinfandel drinkers, such as their desire to have better access to the varietal in restaurants, while confirming some widely held assumptions of the consumer segment, such as their preference to pair Zinfandel with barbeque. Both wineries and consumers were targeted in the study, including responses from 222 wineries that produce Zinfandel and 1,377 wine consumers. According to the results:

· Zinfandel fans are generally unconcerned about its alcohol content, and are more willing to spend as much on Zin as they are on “more prestigious” varietals like Cabernet and Pinot Noir.

· Frequent Zinfandel drinkers tend to be from the West Coast and are underrepresented in the Northeast.

· Women are somewhat more disposed to purchase $20-plus Zin than men, but for the most part gender doesn’t matter.

· Consumers want to see more Zinfandel on restaurant lists and by the glass. Over half (63%) said they "would like to see more and better Zinfandels available by-the-glass in restaurants." Only 7% disagreed.

· While Zinfandel fans agreed that Zin was "heady and alcoholic" (40% of ZAP, 30% of high frequency Zin consumers) only a tiny number (less than 10%) thought that Zins were getting "too ripe and alcoholic."

· Virtually no overlap exists between red Zinfandel and white Zinfandel drinkers.

· A large majority of Zinfandel makers also bottle Cabernet Sauvignon, while less than half make Chardonnay. Over half of the wineries surveyed revealed that Zin makes up for 30% or more of their sales.

· Over half of Zinfandel producers expect Zin sales to increase more than 5%, while more than 25% expect sales to increase over 10% this year.

· Zinfandel makers are more product-oriented than market-oriented. They tend to focus on product quality and winery or appellation reputation rather than sales and marketing execution to sell their wares.

For more information regarding the ZAP study, go to http://www.zinfandel.org/about_zap/ and contact Rebecca Robinson.