Impact of Tasting Fees on Obligation to Buy

I came across an interesting article today:

Kolyesnikova, N. and Dodd, T.H. (2009). 'There is no such thing as a free wine tasting': The effect of
of a tasting fee on obligation to buy. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 26: 806–819.

Here is the abstract:

"ABSTRACT. Building on reciprocity theory, the current study suggests that, at least to some
extent, consumers purchase goods and services in response to sampling due to a perceived need
to reciprocate for trying the products/services. In addition, the study explores the effect of
charging for sampling (i.e., wine tasting) on tourist behavior. The sample (N 5 357) was drawn
from visitors to six wineries in an emerging wine region. Three of the sampled wineries charged a
small fee for tasting, while the other three wineries offered complimentary wine tasting. The
study examined whether differences exist in a perceived need to buy wine between visitors who
paid a tasting fee and those who tasted wine for free. The results indicated that visitors who had
complimentary wine tasting spent significantly more money at the wineries than visitors who
paid a fee for tasting. Furthermore, visitors who tasted wine for free felt significantly more
appreciative of the personnel than did visitors who paid a tasting fee. Also, visitors who had
complimentary wine tasting reported significantly higher levels of obligation to make a purchase
at the end of their visits to the wineries. Managerial implications are discussed".

Some very interesting results here. One wonders if visitors from a more established region (e.g., Napa, Barossa) might have different results? The authors suggest this would be the case. The "emerging region" mentioned here is Texas, BTW.

I almost always buy at least one bottle when tasting at a winery. A minimal fee does not change my behavior. Nor does it differ if I am in Napa, Finger Lakes or Indiana. The only time I can remember that I did not was at a Virginia winery that charged a substantial fee that I felt I had already covered their cost. My behavior is probably due in large part to working in a winery tasting room and knowing the cost that the winery absorbs to offer those free tastings. However, my limit is one sympathy bottle. Anything beyond one bottle has to be earned on the quality of the product.

[Jenise]

Can't account for Texas, John, but I know that the study is exactly right where my husband and I and most of the people we've ever gone wine tasting with are concerned, and I've seen others comment on it on wine boards too. I'm not sure the word 'obligation' applies so much as something else, just an appreciation really that the tasting room costs money and by buying a bottle we know we're helping continue that practice. If the tasting is free and the wine's at least reasonable, I'll usually buy a bottle. If they charge for the tasting, then I feel I've already supported that and it's simply a matter of whether I like their wine enough to own it.

Many of my tastings are done on bicycle. SO...if I really like the wine, I either buy a bottle or at least a sympathy bottle and/or come back later. If I DON'T like the wine I can use being on a bicycle as a face saving excuse.

This is NOT always the case of course. Sometimes I just don't have the money budgeted at the moment. I've still enjoyed tastings as "research" for future purchases. Especially in areas where I visit frequently or are near where I live. Tasting fees alone are not the factor, although a comped tasting in exchange for purchase does make it easier to buy.

As all my cellar door trips are done with a baggage restricted flight between there and home, I just can't buy into any moral obligation to buy. That said, I'm always happy to pay a reasonable tasting fee and tend to offer to pay something when I have an appointment booked.

I can understand the moral obligation aspect though.

regards

Ian

I feel no obligation to buy at all if I pay a tasting fee.
If the tasting fee is waived on purchase of wine, then I am more likely to buy wine after paying for a tasting.
I would feel more obliged to buy wine if I hadn't paid a tasting fee, if a particular wine hit the right spot, of course.

One of the issues here is that a lot of wines, if available in retail, are cheaper in retail than at the cellar door.

It is not only the wineries that have significant costs for tastings. In many cases it is an expensive business for us punters too. We use our own time, and spend a lot on travel to get to the wineries. Not that I am complaining - I think it is fun, and I like to think the producers also think it is fun to talk to "end users" from time to time. At least that is how I hope it is for our typical visits. But I can understand it is not always like that, especially for the larger and more commercial operations that attract many coachloads of visitors.

About the research quoted - it would be interesting to know how the overall ecomonics worked out for producers with and without fees. My guess is that it would depend on many factors.

One more thing - many producers have commented that giving (free) tastings is cheap and effective marketing - a lot cheaper than advertising.

I think that in order for this study to mean more they would need to run it a second time and reverse the tasting fee wineriewith the free one's. Also I am ITB in retail and we do in-store tastings. Ours are free. But the same principle comes through in that I see tasters pick up a bottlle to "buy" which I find later somewhere else in the store.

We came very close to walking out of a tasting once without anything because the wines were really inferior. However the folks were very engaging and the stemware that came with the tasting fee were quite nice, so we back and bought a bottle for cooking.

I find that I feel more of an obligation to buy wine when there is no tasting fee. As these days I only visit wineries whose wines are either wines I have tasted and liked or wines that I've been told I should like, I rarely have a problem finding wines I like. In France, where the notion of a tasting fee is virtually non-existent, I do make a point of buying something at every stop, even though I'll then have to lug it back on a plane. That's one reason that a 12-bottle styrofoam shipper has become another item of luggage for us

Mark Lipton

I do make a point of buying something at every stop, even though I'll then have to lug it back on a plane. That's one reason that a 12-bottle styrofoam shipper has become another item of luggage for us

Mark Lipton

Depending on where you are staying, this is another good point about renting apartments/houses, because you can open a lot more bottles over dinner while still on vacation!

Depending on where you are staying, this is another good point about renting apartments/houses, because you can open a lot more bottles over dinner while still on vacation!

Good point, but I'm mostly buying vins de garde when in la Belle France. We do also get a few ready-to-drink bottles that don't make it onto the plane with us, which could definitely be increased with a rental unit.

Mark Lipton

Good point, but I'm mostly buying vins de garde when in la Belle France.

Aha, good point. And I guess if you're visiting producers then that is the way to go.

I was thinking more of my Paris trips where there is so much tempting stuff in the shops that I need more time/occasions to buy/open them all!

But it can be very difficult indeed to limit oneself when visiting producers. Damned logistics of weight!

If I pay a tasting fee I do not feel compelled to purchase anything. If the tasting is free of charge, 95% of the time I will buy something even out of sympathy. There are exceptions though. For example, I once visited a tiny (think front porch of a guy's house) tasting room in the northern part of the Anderson Valley. The gentleman made two wines. One was a Mataro that was dreadful. The other was a Chardonnay that he proudly aged in oak for five years. Nice enough guy and all, but I just could not reward him for making those wines.

In my earlier days of wine tasting, I felt an obligation to buy..Moree recently, I do not, especially if there is a tasting fee and it is not credited towards a purchase..My wife and I have visited too many wineries where none of the wines we tasted were worth buying..I would rather reward wineries whose products I tasted and admired.

Mark
The only problem on the flights we take, is a 12 bottle case would exceed that person's baggage allowance. Typically we end up with 6 or at most 7 bottles between two of us (~ 10 kg when the per person allowance is typically 15kg), plus clothes and other assorted stuff... plus we usually mail a parcel of additional goodies (but not wine) back. If we organise the parcel in the last 2-3 days of the holiday, we usually beat it home by a couple of days, when sending it at the slowest speed available.

One year in the not too distant future, we will slowly drive to Italy, stopping a couple of nights in France on the way there & back. Champagne and Burgundy are possible stops

On that journey, there might be some heavy duty buying of wine & food!

regards

Ian

Mark
The only problem on the flights we take, is a 12 bottle case would exceed that person's baggage allowance. Typically we end up with 6 or at most 7 bottles between two of us (~ 10 kg when the per person allowance is typically 15kg), plus clothes and other assorted stuff... plus we usually mail a parcel of additional goodies (but not wine) back. If we organise the parcel in the last 2-3 days of the holiday, we usually beat it home by a couple of days, when sending it at the slowest speed available.

One year in the not too distant future, we will slowly drive to Italy, stopping a couple of nights in France on the way there & back. Champagne and Burgundy are possible stops

On that journey, there might be some heavy duty buying of wine & food!

regards

Ian

Ian,
In your position, I'm eschewing flight altogether and availing myself of the Chunnel and European free trade. Whether that means auto travel or trains is entirely a subject for personal interpretation. It sounds as if your plan for the future aligns with these sentiments, so bully for you.

Mark Lipton
(who has, in the past, brought 15 bottles back from France, partly in carry-on and the rest amid the clothing in my suitcase)

I also find that a tasting fee relieves me of the feeling that I should buy a bottle just because they've poured me wine. Even then, I'll often buy a bottle or more if I like the wine and particularly if I like the tasting experience as well.

I only buy wine that I like, regardless of whether or not there is a tasting fee.

Well, I only buy wine that I like , too. Problem is, there's a lot around here I like. I feel no obligation to buy whether there is a tasting fee or not. If I feel the tasting fee exorbitant (only happened a couple of times) I am not like to buy. That being said, we buy a lot.