German Consumer Preferences for Pinot Noir: A Means-End Chain Perspective
Capucine Dentraygues
Jon Hanf
Germany ranks as the third-largest producer of Pinot Noir globally, accounting for nearly 12,000 hectares representing 11% of the country´s total vineyard area. Pinot Noir has become the most widely planted red grape variety, making it economically significant for the nation's wine industry. Since the early 1990s, the area dedicated to Pinot Noir has expanded by over 5,000 hectares. Both winegrowers and consumers in Germany have shown a growing preference for Pinot Noir, likely driven by the rising demand for terroir-driven wines.
At the international level, wine experts, critics, and distributors played a crucial role in positioning Pinot Noir to its current status as one of the most premium-priced and desirable wines in the industry. This “Pinot Noir Phenomenon” was largely driven by the global reputation of Burgundy wines, which have become among the priciest and sought-after in the world. German Pinot Noir, however, remains more affordable than its French counterpart. While the focus on quality and terroir expression has driven prices upward in recent years, the growing price sensitivity of German consumers has most likely helped to moderate these increases. In Germany, Pinot Noir prices range from just a few euros at discount retailers such as Aldi to a modest hundred euros for premium VDP (Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter) wines from renowned regions such as Baden, Ahr, and Pfalz. In contrast, finding French Pinot Noirs under €10 in retail would be difficult, with prices often reaching significantly higher levels.
With the recent rise in prices of Burgundy wines, German Pinot Noirs present a promising opportunity for the future growth of Germany's wine industry. Germany was the fourth-largest exporter of Pinot Noir in 2020, yet its export share remains limited as most of the production is consumed domestically. This suggests that Germany has potential in the global Pinot Noir market and could become more competitive on the international stage for consumers seeking better value for their money.
Despite this potential, understanding the preferences and motivations of consumers remains essential to capitalize on this opportunity. Surprisingly, little attention has been given to consumer behavior studies specifically examining Pinot Noir preferences. To the best of our knowledge, no existing literature addresses this topic. Addressing this gap, the present study aims to deepen the understanding of how Pinot Noir is perceived in Germany and identify the key factors influencing preferences. By exploring the underlying motivations driving consumer choices, the ultimate goal of this research is to add to the body of literature to provide a basis for winegrowers to develop appropriate communication strategies.
Capucine Dentraygues, with a first Master’s in Wine Management and a second in Viticulture and Oenology, is a Doctoral Candidate in the prestigious Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action, part of the Horizon Europe Doctoral Network. The work is funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement 101119480, within the project: “Natural Microbial Interactions in Winemaking-Associated Ecosystems as Tool to Foster Wine Innovation (Eco2Wine).” Capucine has been working since July 2024 under the supervision of Prof.Dr.habil. Jon Hanf at the Hochschule Geisenheim University in Germany.
Jon H. Hanf holds the Chair of International Marketing Management at Hochschule Geisenheim University. He is currently also director of the field of studies “wine business” and head of all wine business programs (including the English program “Inter-national Wine Business (BSc)”). After studying economics at the University of Hohenheim, Prof. Hanf completed his doctorate at the Justus Liebig University in Giessen, where he also completed his habilitation. His research interests are international marketing, strategic marketing and cooperation in the wine industry. He has published more than 150 articles in scientific journals. In addition to many relevant projects with the German wine industry, Jon Hanf has also carried out numerous international projects with the GIZ, World Bank and FAO.