A recent study release by Prowein reveals that consumers across three continents: the US, Europe, and Asia, prefer wines with lower alcohols… meaning wines with under 10.5%abv.

Now, before we everyone decides the best decision really is to start following the moscato craze, let’s review.

First of all, the markets listed are actually not Asian, Europe, and the US, despite what the study will have you believe. The target research markets are actually just Germany, Britain, the US, and China. Naturally, the US should be given the same weight as just Britain or Germany, this makes complete sense.

According to Decanter, the study says:

Significant minorities in each country said their ideal wine would have less than 12% alcohol.

In China this was most noticeable, with 91% of drinkers saying their desired level would be 8.5-10.5% by volume.

In Britain, 22% said their ideal wine was 10.5% or less, with similar numbers in Germany and the US saying the same.

The preference for lower alcohol is most marked in the younger generation. In China the survey found that women, and those aged 18-39, were more likely to say their preferred level of alcohol was 5.5-8%

A similar demographic was found in Britain, with 27% of the 18-39 age group saying their preferred strength was 10.5% or less.

What “a signification minority” means is another story. I have a few issues with this study. To start, who did they ask ? If they asked knowledgable wine consumers, those consumers would likely understand that their chances at finding a wine under 10.5% (or even under 6%!) alcohol isn’t very easy, especially for someone that prefer their wine sweet. To that point, I have found that a lot of people blame wine for horrible hangovers if it is involved in their night of drinking, but poor wine has received a bad name. It is not beer and should not be consumed as such. Higher amounts of alcohol means smaller servings. Do the people who were polled in this study understand that a lower alcohol wine might mean sacrificing quality?

Of course, we’ve heard for years that consumers prefer lower alcohol wines, but, especially in the US, their purchases suggest otherwise. While I’m sure you can find them, it’s not likely you’ll find many made here that are low in alcohol and because Americans have a generally “sweet” palate, they look for those jammier, bigger wines.

I wonder how many consumers actually checks the alcohol content when purchasing a bottle of wine…. with the exception of college students who are looking for a good buzz on a Friday night.

Thoughts?