Wine & Dine™
Project Background
A large portion of wine (estimated at 30% of volume) is sold through the restaurant channel, with the dollars spent in this channel being disproportionately high. Despite the volumetric importance, information about wine buying in restaurants is minimal and no single source of data provides a comprehensive, detailed, accurate, timely and nationally representative picture of wine sales in U.S. restaurants. In order to provide a stable, continuous and projectable source of data regarding wine purchasing behavior in restaurants, we have developed our Wine & Dine™ study.

These reports of the Casual Dining and Fine Dining markets are a comprehensive snapshot of all wine sold through the restaurant channel unlike any other source. The reports include such valuable information as:

  • How often are consumers buying wine in restaurants and in what volume?
  • What are they buying? (type, varietal, brand, origin, etc.)
  • How much are they spending?
  • When and where are they ordering wine?
  • When and how should a new brand be introduced?
  • And most importantly: What influences their decisions?
Wineries who join our prestigious list of Wine & Dine™ customers will have a significant advantage in gaining, and maintaining, placement among the most visible national and independent restaurants' wine lists

Methodology
Wine & Dine™ is a pre-recruited, web-based study with the use of a daily diary. The sample is nationally representative and provides the following design benefits:

  • Accurate data (measures true behavior, not intentions or recall-based)
  • Representative (not restaurant or distributor dependent)
  • Broad geographic coverage
  • Statistically reliable
  • Sufficient sample size to provide microanalysis and projectability
  • Longitudinal for reliable trending
  • Able to relate on-premise wine buying behavior to demographics, wine influencers, and off-premise buying
  • Timely reporting
  • Cost effective
  • Ability to follow up with custom, cost-effective projects
Benefits of the Merrill Research Approach

  • Consumer-driven
  • Accurate volumetrics
  • Nationally projectable
  • Timely
  • Modular
  • Good value
  • Actionable
The Affluent Wine & Dine™ report (86 pages in PowerPoint) shows trended data from 2004-2006 for only the most Affluent (i.e., household income of $150,000+) restaurant diners. The report is based on 275 wine drinkers representing 1,492 separate wine buying occasions. The report is available immediately for $750. Reach us at: info@merrill.com or pmerrill@merrill.com.

As the wine industry's leader in research, Merrill Research has conducted marketing research for the wine industry since 1979 (when it was Pinot Chardonnay, and when Zinfandel only produced red wine). We work with leading industry associations, including the Wine Market Council since 1993 and the Napa Valley Vintners Association, and with leading global wineries as well as boutiques. We have extensive experience in the wine category (see our wine industry page for details) and were a pioneer in developing and using web-based research survey tools.

To order your reports or obtain further information, please contact Pat Merrill at: pmerrill@merrill.com