An overview of wine consumers in Nova Scotia, Canada: A conjoint analysis study

In the last two decades, the Nova Scotia wine industry has rapidly grown from 1 winery to 20 wineries. Recent market research suggests that most Nova Scotia wine consumers are not wine experts but identify Nova Scotia as a producer of quality wines. The objective of this study was to identify the attributes that drive Nova Scotia consumers’ liking of wine. A literature review and a focus group of wine enthusiasts (n = 15) was conducted. Five attributes were identified, including wine style, production method, region of origin, price (in Canadian dollars) and flavour. These attributes were used to create a choice-based conjoint analysis survey. The survey was administered to 374 individuals (40.5 ± 11.6) who reside in Nova Scotia, Canada. The results indicated that price and region of origin are most important to Nova Scotian wine consumers. The flavour descriptions did not have a drastic impact on consumer preference. Three consumer clusters were identified, and they were all associated with locally produced wine and lower prices. However, cluster 3, consisted of younger consumers who preferred white wine and consume a variety of different alcoholic beverages. Overall, Nova Scotian wine consumers place a great importance on wine that is produced locally. © 2019,