Wine and the Asian woman

The number of women in Asia who drink wine is becoming significant, thus creating a new market to be explored

---

ALL over the world, women are becoming more and more involved with wine. The wine industry is employing more women and female consumers are developing an increasing interest in wine, but what exactly is happening in Asia? In Asia, are women also part of the future of wine? What are Asian women's habits, attitudes or expectations with regard to wine? Vinexpo put a series of questions to women in four Asian countries in order to identify what they had in common and what differences there were depending on whether they lived in China, Japan, Hong Kong or South Korea. The survey was conducted with female wine consumers in four countries in partnership with Trendshealth (China) and Elle (Hong Kong, South Korea and Japan). The findings concern nine questions that were all asked in the four countries and are based on the answers of 2,810 women, who were all above the age of 18. The questionnaire was applied between 11 February and 9 March 2010. Of all the women who took part in the survey, 48 per cent were less than 30 years old. A new growing market In Japan, the most mature market in Asia, 42 per cent of the women interviewed drink wine more than twice a week. In the three other survey countries, the number of women who drink wine is becoming significant, thus creating a new market whose characteristics can be explored. Consumption without inhibition is the norm, the survey found as Asian women talk about drinking wine quite openly. More than 70 per cent of them say that they drink wine for enjoyment. For 76 per cent of the Korean women interviewed, wine contributes to a friendly atmosphere. More than one Chinese woman out of two say that they choose their wine themselves, and notably 86 per cent of all Asian women claim that drinking wine is compatible with maintaining a balanced diet. Clear criteria Asian women choose a wine for its taste, but also as a match for a dish. Whilst 92 per cent of the Japanese respondents and 74 per cent of the Koreans interviewed choose wine for its taste, 38 per cent of the Chinese women questioned said that they drink wine, because it is good for health (whilst only 22 per cent claimed to drink wine for its taste). This finding is key for wine professionals to understand this market and the press can be expected to play a vital role. Red wine, please! More than two Asian women out of three prefer red wine. This clear preference is displayed by 84 per cent of Chinese women, whilst those in Hong Kong experiment more and the majority (62 per cent) of the more knowledgeable about wine drink red. However, one-third of the wines they drink are also white, rosé and sparkling wines. It can be observed that this trend is the reverse of what happened a few decades ago, when wine consumption took off in northern Europe and the United States, starting first with white wine. Country of origin and price are the basic drivers of choice. For 77 per cent of the Japanese women interviewed price was the most important factor motivating their choice of wine. In Japan, of course, the amount of duty on wine is very high, but the wine's country of origin is overall the primary driver of choice, especially in China and Hong Kong. "In all four countries, women have a non-conventional relationship with wine with no associated fears or taboos. They choose their wines freely depending on the price and their taste," pointed out Robert Beynat, chief executive of Vinexpo. Part of an elegant lifestyle More than half the Asian women interviewed described wine as being 'elegant': 72 per cent of Chinese female drinkers said wine was 'elegant' or 'the reflection of a style of living'. Only the Japanese women (34 per cent) repNike KD