Should a fee be charged for wine tasting at the cellar door?
This is the question USQ academics Dr Noeleen McNamara and Frances Cassidy are seeking to answer in their research into marketing and wine tourism.
Dr McNamara said charging for wine tastings is a contentious issue in the industry.
‘It is a balancing act for wineries who want new and repeat customers to sample their wine, but still have to cover the costs of operation,’ Dr McNamara said.
‘It is a particularly big issue for small wine producers.’
The academics are seeking assistance from members of the public who have been to a wine tasting in the last five years to complete a short, anonymous online survey.
Ms Cassidy said they aimed to find out whether consumers agreed with a fee for wine tasting.
‘Does your opinion differ depending on what additional services, such as food, a glass or winery tour is offered?’ Ms Cassidy said.
‘We also want to know if you believe fees should be deducted from the purchase price of wine and whether there should be a consistent policy throughout a wine district.
‘Most particularly, we want to know if when you go to a winery and see there is a charge for tasting, do you go inside the cellar door or do you get back in the car?’
Ms Cassidy said this research into an increasingly competitive Australian wine industry will be crucial over coming decades.
‘The results of this research will assist wineries and wine and tourism organisations when considering individual operations and industry standards.
‘It will give them solid information on which to base their decisions.
‘We are also speaking to various cellar door owners/operators to gauge their opinion as to the worth of charging for wine tasting and its impact on sales made at the cellar door.’
If you would like to participate in this research you can
complete the survey here .
For more information contact
Ms Frances Cassidy or
Dr Noeleen McNamara .
Media Contact: Jo-Ann Sparrow, USQ Media, +61 7 3470 4119 or 0438 309 096
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