Abstract
Surveys across different countries elicited that consumers had positive perceptions regarding
organic wine production. However, other studies reported that positive attitudes towards organic
food would not hold for organic wine. But how do consumers behave in real purchase situations?
Data obtained from a panel of 30,000 households was used to analyse German organic wine
consumers´ buying behaviour. Household attitudes regarding sustainable consumption were used
for segmentation. Four clusters could be identified: “Disinterested in sustainable food“,
„Interested in local food“, „Interested in organic food“ and „Interested in organic and local
food”. The most promising consumer segment for organic wine from Germany is the cluster of
consumers “Interested in organic and local food”. Traditional wine producers like France, Italy
and Spain should focus on consumers “Interested in organic food” in general.