Perceptions of Organic and Biodynamic Wines in Different Generations - Evidence from Bulgaria

Abstract

The goal of this study is to examine whether there are differences in consumption between generations in Bulgaria and what are the main reasons that affect their consumer preferences for organic and biodynamic wines. For this purpose, a survey of 27 questions was conducted among 627 users from Generation Z and Generation Y. P-values of Chi-2 tests are presented to major groups of questions. We discover that the attention to eco-friendly or ethically produced wines is already part of the personal drinking preference of Bulgarians as is the orientation in other European wine-producing countries. Respondents do trust in the EU specification of the wine as "organic" and "biodynamic". Our study confirms some conclusions of other European studies that the geographical provenance of the wine and local terroir transmits identity, authenticity and is preferable for the consumers. We find also that there is no difference between the Generation X, Generation Y and Generation Z in Bulgaria in the attitudes towards natural wines. To our knowledge, this is the first study in Bulgaria, which draws some basic conclusions about the level of consumer knowledge on organic and biodynamic wines and represents a key future challenge for the production and marketing processes of winemakers in Bulgaria.