A qualitative study of Chinese wine consumption and purchasing Implications for Australian wines

The Results suggest that Chinese consume Chinese spitits for all occasions, yet consume red wine only for special occasions such as chinese new year and other holidays. A key point for selling red wine to the chinese is its positive image; drinking red wine is considered trendy and shows good taste. Another key point is consumer perceptions of red wine as healthier than chinese spirits because wine contains less alcohol. Two other findings are that most chinese consumers assume all wine is red wine and have little wine knowledge. Most respondents did not know of white wine or that Australia produces wine. Finally, China's culture of face value, mianzi, plays a key role in purchasing and consuming wine. Chinese tend to purchase inexpensive wine for private consumption and public occasions, yielding more mianzi in front of others. In some important occasions,consumers will purchase a foregn(French) red wine to impress their guests and obtain even more mianzi. In most situations, Chinese purchase and consume wine for perceived health and symbolic- luncky or good face- values.