Tom's blog

Does sustainability matter to consumers?

Wine producers across the country are adopting sustainable farming measures. The reasons are complex: it is often cheaper, it is always better for the environment, it uses less precious water, and arguably it makes better wine. But do consumers care?

I thought they did until I read a report from ARENI, Global.

Among other subjects, the research firm polled fine wine consumers about what role sustainable farming played in their purchasing decisions. Those consumers from the U.K. were the least interested with only 7 percent saying they care. The highest interest was from fine wine buyers in China who clock in at 21 percent.

Consumers may care about the environment, but we’re not talking about off-shore oil drilling. Wine comes from fruit grown naturally in soil. Whether it is fertilized by manufactured chemicals or whether buys are killed by insecticides may not matter to most people as long as their wines are pure and delicious.