Structuring food and wine pairing experiences in an emerging economy – Implications for food and wine pursuits, recreation, and tourism

Abstract

ABSTRACT By embracing the underpinnings of the structured experience and the experience economy literature, this study explores wine and food consumers in an emerging economy, where change and evolution are distinctive features. Despite a growing literature emphasising the value of food and wine pairings, this leisure activity continues to receive scant academic attention, including in emerging economies where still wine consumption is not an established phenomenon. A questionnaire administered online and targeted to wine and food consumers in various cities in Vietnam elicited 442 valid responses. An exploratory factor analysis revealed the importance of the ‘encompassing’, ‘engaging’, ‘intrinsically rewarding’, and ‘status-oriented’ dimensions. Strong relationships emerged between these dimensions, the structured experience and the experience economy literature. In addition, numerous inter-group differences were confirmed, including the finding that higher levels of income do not determine how consumers perceive their wine and food experiences. The dimensions and associated relationships helped develop a framework that guides the conceptual and practitioner understanding of structured consumer experiences. For instance, the engaging dimension highlights customers’ desire to gain knowledge associated with their experiences, while the intrinsically rewarding dimension points to aspects, including new products, that can address customers’ needs.