Acceptability of partially dealcoholized wines - Measuring the impact of sensory and information cues on overall liking in real-life settings

In this study, the effect of partial alcohol reduction in wine on consumer expectation and overall liking was investigated in real-life settings (by a Home-Use-Test). By varying the wine in the bottle and by manipulating the information on the label, it was possible to assess the relative impact of sensory properties and information cues on overall liking. Standard Chardonnay and Syrah wines were partially dealcoholized from about 13.5% to about 9.5%. After bottling, these dealcoholized wines were presented once with information about real alcohol content (9.5%) and once with false information about alcohol content (13.5%). A third bottle with standard wine inside was also presented with real information about alcohol content (13.5%). A group of 194 French wine consumers rated the three wines at home for liking before and after tasting on continuous hedonic scales. Another group of 90 French wine consumers evaluated the wines at the laboratory. The same order of preference was obtained in both laboratory and home conditions but wines generally attained significantly higher hedonic scores in Home-Use-Tests. A strong segmentation of consumers highlighted specific consumer behaviors regarding expectation and overall liking of wines. Results emphasized the importance of both sensory and information cues in the development of overall liking by consumers. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.