Wine and “paradox of choice”

Hundreds of wines, hundreds of labels – how to choose? Maybe the world don’t need it?

Do you know the feeling when at the supermarket, approach the shelves with cereal for Breakfast and included in the stupor of half a dozen packages, each of which promises “the perfect start of the day”? Or a dozen shampoos, insisting on the fact that each unique formula for the care of your hopeless follicles?

That’s it.

The wealth of choice that we face, can be daunting. This issue became the subject of research which caused a lot of controversy book by psychologist Barry Schwartz (Barry Schwartz) “the Paradox of choice: why less is more?” released in 2004. The author argues that choice gives freedom, but only to a certain limit.

“With the increase in the number of cases grows, the negative effect – until the moment when we have an overload, more choice gives us freedom, and tiring and leads to confusion. Sometimes you can even talk about the tyranny of choice”

Well, Sam Schwartz acknowledges that tyranny off the shelves of the supermarket is maybe already too much. And yet, as shown by the study of the behavior of buyers jam, people are more likely to make a purchase in a more narrow choice. Subsequent studies seem to confirm the theory of “less is more”, showing that too much choice can be overwhelming.

Portal Wine Searcher contains information about more than 6.8 million different wines. If you try one wine a day, then that number will go 18617 years, but they are not enough because each year a new vintage.

Did you have the idea that the world does not need this amount of wine? Even the most stubborn wine maniac with a steel liver will not be able to overpower. Such diversity is pleasing to wine enthusiasts, but not all, who drink wine, share their fanaticism. For many consumers, wine is no more than a means of relaxation after a hard day when the kids are put to bed.

In addition to choosing from a huge number of wines to consumers is another puzzle: their labels, many of which contain foreign labels, to understand that it is not easy if you never went to wine school. For example, how the average citizen will be able to guess that Pouilly-Fuisse (Pouilly-Fuisse) is a Chardonnay from Burgundy and Pouilly-Fume (Pouilly-fumé) is a Sauvignon from the Loire? And what it actually taste like?

Well, Yes, this is a great reason to go to school. But for the vast majority of consumers wine courses – not in the top priorities. As shown by surveys conducted by Wine Intelligence, most selected a good wine relies on the advice of friends, promotions, well-known brand or just my favorite grape.

But the paradox in another way: even buying the same wine, people tend to follow them there, where more choice… they do not enjoy.

The advice of consultants in the areas of sales also play a role. A study conducted in 2014 for the company Technomic, showed that the recommendations of the selling personnel influence the decision more than a third of buyers. Although in many shops the staff and greets with work, studies again and again prove the importance of skilled care personnel in the success of wine retail.

However, in the USA 4 out of 10 bottles sold in supermarkets (in UK 8 out of 10), and there, in contrast to the wine boutiques, on the topic of staff development rarely bother (although some supermarkets began to appear electronic search system recommendations). So it’s no surprise that lots of consumers makes choices based on promotions, of varieties of familiar and beautiful labels.

Let’s face it: an ordinary consumer lacks the simple and clear criteria for the comparison of a great variety are so similar to each other bottles. Maybe to facilitate the selection, reducing the number that need to compare?

Moreover, not only supermarkets could shrink the range so as not to overload the brain of the buyer. Winemakers could also try to control myself. Swelling of the range sometimes goes beyond all reasonable limits. The Sine Qua Non of changing the name and appearance of its wines each year – this is certainly an extreme case, his antics are at least paid for by wealthy fans of the brand, but without it many ordinary manufacturers can not stop: and with gold telemachy, and platter, and “numbered” and “limited edition” – in the wax, in wooden boxes with bundles of hay and a book…

The world doesn’t need as much wine. World production of wine is already much ahead of consumption. And although the European Union is taking measures to curb wine rivers with the help of reforms in the sector, and the 2012 harvest was small, the wine still produced more than they consumed.

I do not propose to massively close the winery. To put a limit of 5 wines for them to not offer too (although think about it, maybe the idea’s not so bad), but in the concept of “less is more” definitely there is a reason. The variety and depth of the wine market might and delight, and frighten – depends on the relationship. But those of us who are involved in the wine industry, is to ensure that the average consumer didn’t hide behind the hair when the choice of wine.