I attend many zooms on wine and often but not always fellow wine writers have on point questions. In one particular forum recently, one person brought up recently that that more information on a wine label could open a Pandora’s box. Which, of course, I thought was absolutely ridiculous.
First, A: That is way too dramatic and it makes no sense. What scenario could a person have too much information on wine or anything else for that matter? Why would it be a bad thing that brands provide more information on back labels about baseline information on the bottle that consumers are thinking about buying. I do know wine consumers who DON’T buy because there is not enough information. While cost is one thing–there may be fundamental needs that go beyond price. A lack of information would help a person to not buy or potentially not buy a bottle of wine.
B. There is nothing wrong with transparency and I as a consumer like information on products I am buying. I want to know if it is made in a certain manner or essential information that may affirm my purchase. I have rarely found less information compelling–if anything it is frustrating.
There are dribs and drabs of that occurring right now. Sometimes and rarely so are any data points on front labels – perhaps a wine variety percentage break down. But more often than not is the back labels are places for information and you do see information sometimes. One common feature is to include certification such a sustainability, organic grapes, vegan friendly, etc.
I do get a lot of questions about wine because a consumer don’t have the needed information to feel okay about completing a wine purchase. If people are buying in person or online often there is no one to help. Try going to a wine retailer on a Saturday, a club warehouse any day of the week. While an online retailer can display wine bottle information and depends on retailer information can also be lacking.
Consumers may gravitate and buy a wine that clearly states features; and those features may satisfy the need of the individual wine consumer. With less service in the wine retailing the more people I do think are okay with self-servicing their purchase and a wee bit of information goes along way to empower the purchase not take way from it. This is in within reach and a bottle label can help clinch the deal for a wine consumer to take a bottle to the register.
One of the top questions I get from people are for Vegan Friendly wines and that is because they have found difficulty in getting the wines they want. Even a well educated wine store or large format store might be challenged. How do I know? I have asked the question and have not found satisfying answers to often. I do not that sometimes producers do not list that their wine is Vegan Friendly on back of bottle and I do wonder why someone would hold back that information. I do not practice a Vegan diet but I am not opposed and welcome Vegan production of wines. They are no less delicious and I do know anyone who has a negative connotations with a Vegan Friendly wine.
More not less information is not a nice to have but one where consumers will lift bottles to take home that satisfy their needs for information and will put ones away that do not.
Would an individual investor dismiss too much information on their potential investment targets? No, of course not–the more the information the better. So too with wine information should not be hard to find but should be made easily available–QR codes help but are not always ideal–sometimes click on a QR code in a cavernous club warehouse and you may not be able to open up the webpage (due to a weak connection to a network) but a bottle label chock full of information is a reasonable solution and no technology needed.
I do think if consumers are getting more choices on wines and styles they too will be rewarded with more information in the future. I do think written information on a wine’s back label has so many benefits. Wine producers face so much competition it does behoove them to provide everything a potential customer might want to have.
More is more and less information is not so desirable–there is no Pandora’s box for wine bottle label information contrary to the above person I mentioned.
What are your thoughts on this subject?
Santé,
James
#WineBottleLabel #WineInformation #Certification #WineAttributes #WineKnowledge #Labels #Information #VeganFriendly
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