Who's here? An exploratory study of the characteristics and wine consumption behaviours of visitors at a New Zealand wine festival

Abstract

This paper explores the socio-demographic characteristics and wine consumption behaviours of visitors to a New Zealand wine and food festival and explores the extent to which they differ from a general sample of New Zealand wine consumers. Design/methodology/approach - The data were collected via a structured self-complete survey, distributed through a combination of survey administration modes (pen-and-paper and online). Descriptive statistics and χ2 tests of significance were used to analyse the data. Findings – The festival attendees did not differ significantly from a general sample of wine consumers on most measures, but they did consume wine more frequently and bought more wine for home consumption. The festival sample was also more diverse than the general sample on many measures, suggesting that the reasons for being at the festival, and the experiences sought, are not homogeneous. Practical implications – The paper provides an up-to-date profile of wine festival attendees at one festival in New Zealand, it highlights the similarities and differences between this sample and a general sample of wine consumers in New Zealand and suggests avenues for future research.