Wines with sustainable attributes: How much do consumers know about them, and why does it matter?

Abstract

Product knowledge is one of the key factors affecting consumer decisions, including purchasing sustainable products. Yet, it is not clear how much consumers know about non-conventional wines and whether they can differentiate between the different types of such wines. The current paper investigates the impact of consumers' knowledge types on their attitudes and purchase intention for non-conventional wines. The data were obtained using an online survey of 201 wine consumers. Findings indicate that product knowledge should be viewed as a multidimensional concept requiring categorization into distinct types. The results also revealed that subjective and objective knowledge of sustainable and organic wines appear to be strongly linked to positive attitudes and purchasing decisions. However, the prior experience did not impact forming positive attitudes and purchase intention. Regarding biodynamic wines, it was shown that only subjective knowledge influenced attitude and consequently the purchase intention. The findings provide important implications, especially for retailers or marketers attempting to sell non-conventional wines, because consumers' purchase intention and attitudes could be positively stimulated when marketing activities focus on certain types of knowledge.