Sustainability and Natural Wines: An Exploratory Analysis on Consumers

Abstract

Wine production and consumption in Italy have a long tradition strongly linked to conventional products. Because of these market dynamics, the Italian wine industry has strongly increased the production of organic wines, as well as that of biodynamic and natural wines. Based on a qualitative survey of 210 wine consumers, this study explores the motivations which move the interests of consumers for the consumption of natural wine. The aim of the study is to verify if and how sustainability inspires demand. Considering the scarcity of studies on “natural wines” this research aims to provide a cognitive framework capable of giving a social representation of natural wine from the consumers’ side, although not reaching a generalizable result.