Wine consumption in Asia 2012

Flash Report

Wine consumption in Asia 2012

China, India, Singapore

Rossi&Bianchi - Milano – Tel. 02 31810072 – www.rossiebianchi.it - info@rossiebianchi.it

The Research
In 2012 Rossi&Bianchi and Insintesi Ricerca & Comunicazione, in partnership with AIP, a
Japanese Institute leader in online market research, launched a market research project
with the objective to collect information on wine consumption in three Asian countries:
China, India and Singapore.
The research was based on a questionnaire of about ten questions, which was submitted
to the AIP online panel in the three countries during the month of June 2012.
The sample who participated in the research was made of 1000 respondents
respectively in China and India and 500 respondents in Singapore, for a total of 2.500
people.
As it is an online panel, the data is representative limited to the population who has
Internet access, which was distribuited as follows: (as of June 2012):
China 38,4%
India 10,2%
Singapore 77,2%


The Questionnaire -1-

1. How often do you go out to have something to eat or drink?
Never
A few times a year
About once a month
About once a week
Almost everyday

2. Using a scale from 1 to 4 where 1 means “I completely disagree” and 4 means “I completely agree”: how
much do you agree with the each of the following statements?
Wine has a good taste
Wine is healthy
Wine is trendy
My friends and/or relatives drink wine regularly
Wine is expensive
Wine is easy to find
Drinking wine is not wise

3. How often do you drink wine?
I never drink wine
A few times a year
About once a month
About once a week
Almost everyday

4. Where do you normally drink wine?
Or, if you never drink wine, where do people you spend your time with usually drink wine?
- multiple choice
At home
Restaurant / hotel
Wine bar
Café
Night club
Other


The Questionnaire - 2 -
5. Who do you normally drink wine with?
Or, if you never drink wine, who do people you spend your time with usually drink wine with? - multiple
choice
Alone
With relatives
With friends
With business acquaintances
Other

6. What aspects do you mainly take into account when choosing a bottle of wine?
Or, if you never drink wine, what aspects do people you spend your time with mainly take into account
when choosing a bottle of wine? - multiple choice
Price
Wine characteristics (colour, age, grape variety, etc.)
External features (label, bottle)
The country in which the wine is produced
Well known
Easy to find
None of the above

7. Where do you buy wine more frequently? (please consider only take away)
Or, if you never drink wine, where do people you spend your time with buy wine more frequently? (please
consider only take away) - multiple choice
Wine shop
Grocery
Restaurant / hotel
Café /wine bar / night club
Supermarket /Hypermarket
Other

8. Usually, when you drink or you buy some wine, how much money are you willing to spend?
Or, if you never drink wine, when do people you spend your time with drink or buy some wine, how much
money are they willing to spend? (please consider 4 price ranges)
I prefer to pay as low I can
I prefer to pay between low and mid price
I prefer to pay between mid and high price
I prefer to buy the most expensive


The Questionnaire - 3-
9. Which type or types of wine do you prefer?
Or, if you never drink wine, which type or types of wine do people you spend your time with prefer? -
multiple choice
White
Rosè
Red
Sparkling
Still
Dry
Aromatic
Semi sweet
Sweet
Young
Aged
Other

10. How do you get information about wine?
Or, if you never drink wine, how do people you spend your time with get information about wine?
- multiple choice
Word of mouth
Press and guides
Web and social media
Events
Retailer’s suggestions
Other
I do not get information about wine

11. Did you buy any Italian product during the last 12 months? If yes, which ones among these?
Wine
Liquor
Cheese
Ham or other cured meats
Olive oil
Confectionery (ice cream, chocolate, panettone)
Pasta
Other
I had dinner at an Italian restaurant
I did not buy any Italian products


The Analysis
1. How often do you go out to have something to eat or drink?
Never
A few times a year
About once a month
About once a week
Almost everyday

singapore
Never
A few times a year
india About once a month
About once a week
Almost everyday
china

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

All three samples show a noticeable inclination to go out, especially Singapore, where almost 85% of
respondents go out at least once a week. Indians like to stay at home more often.


The Analysis
Wine has a good taste

singapore

1I completely disagree
2
india
3
4I completely agree

china

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

The national samples show different ways of appreciating wine’s taste: the Chinese are the most
appreciative, as more than 80% like wine’s taste, while Indians are the least wine lovers: only little more
than half of respondents declare they like the taste.


The Analysis
much do you agree with the following statement? scala 1-4
Wine is healthy

singapore

2
india
3
4I completely agree

china

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

In this case, too, those who most appreciate the healthiness of wine are the Chinese, who are almost all
convinced of its qualities. Indians are once again the most careful respondents, as only little more than half
of them think that wine is healthy.


The Analysis
Wine is trendy

singapore

2
india
3
4I completely agree

china

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

About 80% of Chinese respondents think that drinking wine is also a matter of being trendy. Indian
respondents are more cautious, even though only 21% do not agree at all with this statement.
Singaporeans are less polarized on this topic, the vast majority of them (78%) are in the middle.


The Analysis
My friends and/or relatives drink wine regularly

singapore

2
india
3
4I completely agree

china

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

About 75% of Chinese respondents report their friends and family drink wine regularly, while the
percentage of positive responses from Indians and Singaporeans is less than 50%. Wine consumption
seems to be a social phenomenon, especially in China.


The Analysis
Wine is expensive

singapore

2
india
3
4I completely agree

china

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

In all three countries examined the cost of wine is considered quite high, since more than half of
respondents agree with that statement. In Singapore, possibly because of a different distribution of
income, price seems a little less relevant.


The Analysis
Wine is easy to find

singapore

2
india
3
4I completely agree

china

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

If the Chinese and Singaporeans have no problems to find wine, Indians show more uncertainty on its
availability. Especially the Chinese declare they have easy access (91%) to wine.


The Analysis
Drinking wine is not wise

singapore

2
india
3
4I completely agree

china

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

In coherence with the data above, the most passionate wine lovers/buyers are the Chinese, who are very
much convinced that drinking wine is wise. On the other hand, more than one third of Indians think that
drinking wine is not very wise.


The Analysis
9. . How often do you drink wine?
I never drink wine
A few times a year
About once a month
About once a week
Almost everyday

singapore
I never drink wine
A few times a year
india About once a month
About once a week
Almost everyday
china

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

More than half of Chinese respondents drink wine at least once a week, while only 20% of Singaporeans
and Indians do the same. Indians are the least frequent wine drinkers, 80% of them drink wine no more
than once a week and more than one third never drink wine.


The Analysis
10. Where do you normally drink wine?
Or, if you never drink wine, where do people you spend your time with usually drink wine?
- multiple choice
At home
Restaurant / hotel
Wine bar
Café
Night club
Other

singapore
At home
Restaurant/hotel
Wine bar
india
Cafe
Night club
Other
china

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

The most popular places for wine consumption in all three countries are at home and at the
restaurant/hotel. Also wine bars and night clubs have an interesting market share. The Chinese, who drink
more wine, are also the ones who drink it more frequently at home and at the restaurant/hotel.


The Analysis
11. Who do you normally drink wine with?
Or, if you never drink wine, who do people you spend your time with usually drink wine with? - multiple
choice
Alone
With relatives
With friends
With business acquaintances
Other

Alone
singapore

With relatives

india With friends

With business
acquaintances
china Other

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

If all three countries drink wine mainly with family and friends, there is also a quite interesting amount of
lonely drinkers. Wine also seems to be a useful business tool.


The Analysis
12. What aspects do you mainly take into account when choosing a bottle of wine?
Or, if you never drink wine, what aspects do people you spend your time with mainly take into account
when choosing a bottle of wine? - multiple choice
Price
Wine characteristics (colour, age, grape variety, etc.)
External features (label, bottle)
The country in which the wine is produced
Well known
Easy to find
None of the above

Price

singapore
Wine characteristics (colour， age，
grape variety， etc.)
External features (label， bottle)

The country in which the wine is
india
produced
Well known

Easy to find

china
Other

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Price and characteristics of wine are certainly the major factors related to the choice of a bottle of wine;
brand and country of origin are also important. Availability is not a problem, as already seen, and
packaging is also not very relevant in the choice of wine. Indians are less concerned with price and more
attracted by brands.


The Analysis
13. Where do you buy wine more frequently? (please consider only take away)
Or, if you never drink wine, where do people you spend your time with buy wine more frequently? (please
consider only take away) - multiple choice
Wine shop
Grocery
Restaurant / hotel
Café /wine bar / night club
Supermarket /Hypermarket
Other

singapore

Wine shop
Grocery
Restaurant/hotel
india
Cafe/wine bar/night club
Supermarket/Hypermarket
Other

china

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

The main sales channel in China and Singapore is supermarkets/hypermarkets, closely followed by wine
shops. In India this relationship is reversed, as wine shops are more used, while in all three countries there
is a quite noticeable take away business in restaurants and similar venues.


The Analysis
14. Usually, when you drink or you buy some wine, how much money are you willing to spend?
Or, if you never drink wine, when do people you spend your time with drink or buy some wine, how much
money are they willing to spend? (please consider 4 price ranges)
Usually I prefer to pay as low I can
Usually I prefer to pay between low and mid price
Usually I prefer to pay between mid and high price
Usually I prefer to buy the most expensive

singapore I prefer to pay as low I can

I prefer to pay between low
and mid price
india
I prefer to pay between mid
and high price
I prefer to buy most
china expensive

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

The consumers in the present sample are mainly looking for medium priced wines. In Singapore lower
priced wines are more sought after, while Indians show a certain willingness to spend more money for
wine.


The Analysis
15. Which type or types of wine do you prefer?
Or, if you never drink wine, which type or types of wine do people you spend your time with prefer? -
multiple choice
White – Rosè – Red – Sparkling – Still – Dry – Aromatic - Semi sweet – Sweet – Young – Aged
- Other

White
singapore Rose
Red
Sparkling
Still
Dry
india
Aromatic
Semi sweet
Sweet
Young

china Aged
Other

0.0 50.0 100.0 150.0 200.0 250.0 300.0

All countries love red wine, with reasonable preferences also for white wine. A relevant preference for
sparkling wines can be seen in Singapore, but this factor does not seem to be very important for the
majority of respondents.
As for taste, if the Chinese prefer dry wines, there is a noticeable bent towards aromatic, semi sweet and
sweet wines in all three countries. The age of wine does not seem to be a relevant factor, even though
aged wines are more popular than young ones.


The Analysis
16. How do you get information about wine?
Or, if you never drink wine, how do people you spend your time with get information about wine?
- multiple choice
Word of mouth
Press and guides
Events
Retailer’s suggestions
Other
I do not get information about wine

Word of mouth

singapore Press and guides


india Events

Retailer's suggestions

Other
china

I do not get information about
wine
0.0 100.0 200.0 300.0

Word of mouth is the main information channel in all three countries, together with the Internet and the
press/guides. Among more interactive information tools, events and retailer’s suggestions stand out (which
confirms the positive role of wine shops and restaurants as places to buy/consume wine). There is also a
large amount of people who do non collect any information about wine (maybe because they don’t drink it).


The Analysis
17. Did you buy any Italian product during the last 12 months? If yes, which ones among these?
Wine
Liquor
Cheese
Olive oil
Confectionery (ice cream, chocolate, panettone)
Pasta
Other
I did not buy any Italian products

Wine

Liquor
singapore
Cheese


Olive oil
india
Confectionery (ice cream， chocolate
， panettone etc.)
Pasta

china Other


0.0 50.0 100.0 150.0 200.0 250.0 I did not buy any Italian products

The replies to this last question reveal a great interest in Italian food and beverage.
Though respondents may have referred to products made in Italy or products used in Italian cooking or
Italian taste, this is very encouraging for distributors of Made in Italy products as in all three countries
respondents declare a keen attention to Italy and its oeno-gastronomy. This type of ”extended
interpretation” could be more significant in understanding how Italian oeno-gastronomy is considered in
these countries.


Conclusion
From the analysis of the answers to the questionnaire on wine consumption emerge a
few interesting aspects, both from the whole sample and with reference to single
countries.
In all three countries the online population (and thus presumably the most advanced
share of the total population of a country) shows a clear bent towards social life, in and
out of home, in various types of venues, often in the company of a glass of wine.
The consumption of Italian products also seems quite popular, and is not limited to
wine, but many different items.
Among the three countries analyzed, the most enthusiastic about wine is certainly
China, while for the time being India is the farthest from the world of wine. This country is
more cautious or at least indifferent to wine even with reference to large shares of the
most advanced population (and it can be easily imagined that this would happen all the
more among those who are still offline, about 90% of the total population).
Singapore is in the middle, probably also because the population is more diverse from an
ethnic point of view (mainly of Chinese, Malesian and Indian origin, with a strong
presence of Western inhabitants) and because wine is widely available due to the urban
dimension of this city-country. For instance, Singapore shows a strong bent towards
buying wine in large retail trade, which on the one hand requires access to this type of
sales channel and on the other hand requires more autonomy in the choice of wine than
other venues. The choice of Singapore in comparison with China and India may
therefore suggest a sort of “benchmark” role related to more mature wine consumption
patterns.


Wine consumption in Asia 2012

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

Viewers also liked

Viewers also liked (17)

Similar to Wine consumption in Asia 2012

Similar to Wine consumption in Asia 2012 (11)

More from Massimo Pizzo

More from Massimo Pizzo (8)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Wine consumption in Asia 2012