Grapevine: Your Wine Preferences: Do You Know What You Know?

What are you drinking these days?

I’ve written about numerous wines, from innumerable regions, crafted from multitudinous grape varieties. I’ve focused on tried-and-true wines, and fringe wines hoping to attain a mainstream recognition.

My mantra has always been to experiment. A regular practice of sampling new wines will invariably lead to consumers finding their “new favorite wine,” a phrase I frequently employ.

Of course, most of us have our go-to wines, the ones we consider our comfort wines, those wines that are consistently reliable palate-pleasers. But there are so many wines in the marketplace today that have the potential of replacing, or at least supplementing, your core cache of favorite wines. For many of us, finding our current favorite wines was accidental, a result of experimenting with a wine recommended by our local wine merchant, or a sommelier at a forward-thinking restaurant. Many of our current favorites replaced long-standing previous favorites.

I am intrigued by the divergent demographics of today’s wine consumer. In my travels, I’ve classified them into three very broad categories. With due credit to (two-time) former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, they are:

“I know what I know” consumers, with blinders full-on, who have been drinking the same wines since their first adult sip.

“I know what I don’t know” tipplers, who are aware of the vast choices currently in the marketplace, but feel no compulsion to venture outside their self-created boundaries.

And my favorite: the “I don’t know what I don’t know” adventurers. Rather than intentionally shunning the vast, unknown universe of wine choices, they approach each purchase decision-point with a clean slate (and clean palate).

Into which category do you fall?

The reality of the wine consumption landscape in the United States in 2016 is fairly clear. There is a wide swath of the wine consuming public that views wine as a pleasurable companion to a meal, but not necessarily a vital component of it. A significant percentage of consumers purchase Pinot Grigio without giving a second thought to the endless alternatives of light, aromatic and structured white wines. Merlot commands a substantial market share as a middle-of-the-road, middle-of-the-palate wine of choice.

Two recent surveys shed further, statistical, light on the drinking habits of American wine consumers.

The 2015 American Wine Consumer Preference Survey, published by Sonoma State University and the Wine Business Institute, polled 1,072 demographically diverse consumers. The survey participants received a list of grapes and were asked to pick all of their favorites. The top choice? Chardonnay. Rounding out the top five (in order of preference): Merlot, White Zinfandel, Pinot Grigio and Cabernet Sauvignon/Pinot Noir (tied for fifth). Their favorite style?  Over 50% preferred fruity, semi-sweet and smooth. Contrary to popular belief, only 26% preferred dry wines.

When I reviewed the report, I must say I was a bit surprised at the results. It seems the “I know what I know” group dominates the wine market. Each of the top five wines has been a best seller for years. However, I assumed that more wine consumers were experimenting with, or at least expanding, their choices over the last decade.

About to consider my mantra to experiment with new wines a failure, I came across another survey (keep searching until you find statistics that comport to your viewpoint?).

This survey, a tabulation of inquiries on the wine website Wine-searcher.com, reaches a different conclusion than the 2015 American Wine Consumer Preference Survey.

Wine-searcher has compiled a list of nearly eight million wines, as submitted by over 50,000 merchants. Tens of millions of consumers submit inquiries in search of wines. Over the past year, the top grape searches were for Pinot Noir, followed by Cabernet Sauvignon. Chardonnay, followed by Sauvignon Blanc, was the top white wine search.

Which survey reflects your preferences?

Whether the subject is wine preferences, or more esoteric topics such as your favorite ice cream, political party or world leader, we can all find surveys that support our preferences. I know that I know that.

Nick Antonaccio is a 40-year Pleasantville resident. For over 20 years he has conducted numerous wine tastings and lectures. He also offers personalized wine tastings and wine travel services. Nick’s credo: continuous experimenting results in instinctive behavior. You can reach him at nantonaccio@theexaminernews.com or on Twitter @sharingwine