What Drives New Wine Discovery?

The U.S. wine industry is characterized by a drive for discovery, and a new survey reveals why: 95% of wine professionals report that new wine discoveries are extremely, or very important to their professional development, and 83% report they are very important to business growth. The Cariena region of Spain, a rising star known for great old-vine Garnacha, set out to uncover what drives the search for new wines in the U.S. market.

Staying "current" on trends is key to professional development:
When it comes to professional development, some 32% of respondents reported that the most important reason for making new wine discoveries is to "stay current" on the latest trends, regions and wines. 28% cited the importance of always learning and gaining more knowledge, while 14% cited "personal interest" and "keeping my job exciting and interesting."

New wine discoveries drive business growth and increased sales:
23% of respondents cited "increased sales" as the top business-related reason for making new wine discoveries.This same group of respondents cited "growing business" and "attracting new customers" as business drivers behind the search for new products.And how does the trade market their discoveries to customers? Respondents cited the importance of "selling in person," "favorable reviews," "store displays," "grape variety" and "consumer incentives" to stimulate trial and purchase.

For the second year in a row Spain is a leading country for discovery of new wine regions:
A majority of wine industry professionals surveyed ranked Spain as the most likely country to unveil a "yet to be discovered" wine region with the best opportunity to gain U.S. market share, along with Portugal.

Garnacha from Spain continues to grow in popularity and image:
92% of trade recently revealed that Garnacha has "good" or "great" growth potential the highest rating among the red wine types tested (12/14, Wine Opinions). The favorable trend continues in 2016: 83% indicated that Garnacha from Spain will "continue to grow significantly," and 85% were "somewhat," "very," or "extremely" likely to add Spanish Garnacha to their lists or portfolios. The reason why?Spain's Garnacha ranked highest in quality for the price (among wines selling for $15 or more) with 50% giving it top ranking, compared to Grenache from France's Rhne region in second place (40%).

The Cariena region has increased distribution here's why:
An appetite for discovery in the U.S. wine trade and a preference for quality-driven Spanish Garnacha have favorably benefited D.O.P. Cariena. The region's three most prominent wineries Bodegas Paniza, Bodegas San Valero and Grandes Vinos y Viedos all report distribution gains year-to-date as exports to the U.S. have surged ahead. 73% of trade respondents noted "quality-to-price" as a key reason for this momentum, while "producers working well with their trade partners" ranked second. Cariena's "fruit-forward style" and "wines made from old-vine Garnacha" also ranked high, suggesting that the more expressive style of Garnacha from the region has contributed to its growing popularity.

Visit www.nextgreatgrape.com for more information on the wines of D.O.P. Cariena, especially their Garnacha and Cariena offerings. Wine Opinions, the leading provider of trade and consumer market research to the U.S. wine industry, conducted the survey of their national trade panel in February 2016 (total respondents: 432).

SOURCE D.O.P. Carinena

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