by Hervé Lalau
According to a survey done by TNS Sofrès of 1,000 French consumers, the results of which confirm the data of previous studies, price is not the only criteria for the selection of a wine. Yes, price is of foremost importance for 42% of those questioned, but was followed closely by the region with 38 and the vintage with 24%. Interestingly, the grape varietal and the name of the producer were relegated to fourth and fifth place in the order of priorities. The mention of the appellation, or AOC, was important for only 13% of the French, probably because they take it for granted,and only 12% considered the country of production - perhaps because they only drink French wines - to be of importance! The advice of the sales personnel, a medal won at a fair or the recommendations in a guide were of even lesser value, dropping respectively from 7.4 to 2.0% in the pecking order among those questioned. According to the survey, other elements such as the form or design of the label or the shape of the bottle were statistically of no importance at all. Surprisingly, quality was not considered a factor either.
