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Wine Intelligence Launches Bi-Annual Global Industry Study, Powered by GMI

With new Vinitrac Global Monitor, market research firm reveals meaningful insights on consumer wine habits in 11 countries

London International Wine and Spirit Fair, May 22nd, 2007 - Wine Intelligence, a London-based market research firm specializing in serving the global wine industry, today announced the findings and publication of the Vinitrac Global Monitor, a new comprehensive bi-annual survey of consumer wine habits in 11 countries (second edition to be published in September 2007). The study was powered by GMI (Global Market Insite, Inc.) who provided global consumer panels for the research .

The Vinitrac Global Monitor, the first study of its kind, enables wine businesses to track the health of their products, and measure the impact of their marketing activities worldwide. It offers valuable insights on markets representing the 200 million most affluent and high-spending wine drinkers in the world, including Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Ireland, Switzerland, the UK and the USA. These markets were selected on the basis of their exposure to international wine brands, and their potential for future wine consumption growth. Wine Intelligence is planning to expand future editions of the Vinitrac Global Monitor to include consumer insights from France, Spain, Sweden and Russia.

Some of the study's top findings include:

• Red wine is now the most popular drink overall: 8 out of 10 wine drinkers now drink red, vs. 67% who drink white
• Rosé wine penetration is at 22% overall, but expected to rise
• Half of American, Australian and British consumers drink wine at least twice a week, compared with a quarter of Finnish and 32% of Japanese wine drinkers
• Overall, just half of wine drinkers say they buy wine in a bar or pub, though almost 90% of Japanese respondents say they buy wine in this channel
• While 9 in 10 drinkers overall will buy wine in a restaurant, this drops to just 57% in Switzerland and 65% in Germany
• Nearly 8 in 10 U.S. wine drinkers say they buy wine in a formal restaurant at least once a month
• Top seven grape varieties by market penetration: Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Shiraz
• 56% of drinkers drink French wine, with Australia in second place (50%), followed by Italy (42%), Chile (38%) and Spain (33%). USA comes next with 32%
• Apart from its home market, where it has an 81% penetration, the next biggest markets for USA wine are the UK (32%), Canada (31%) and Ireland (30%)
• Bordeaux (80%) is the most recognized region, followed by Champagne (73%), Chianti (62%), Beaujolais (59%), Chablis (57%). Napa comes sixth with 54% awareness
• Higher alcohol wines (13%+) are generally more popular than lower alcohol wines (9-10%), particularly in English-speaking countries
• Around half of UK consumers say they normally buy higher alcohol wines, compared with 42% in Denmark, 40% in the USA, and 29% in Japan
• Consumers in most of these markets remain skeptical about screw-caps, with over a third of all respondents saying they dislike them, and 23% saying they like them
• This compares with 64% of respondents who say they like their wine sealed with natural cork, and just 4% who say they dislike this type of closure

"For the first time, the global wine industry has a powerful and cost-effective international consumer research tool at its disposal," explains Lulie Halstead MMRS, chief executive of Wine Intelligence. "Companies can use our study to gain better and more consistent insights across a range of key international markets, and to create and measure individual market or global strategies across multiple marketplaces."

"Wine businesses are faced with two challenges today: increasing global competition, and the ever-changing wine tastes of global consumers," adds Dietmar Walter, executive vice president, EMEA for GMI in London. "Boutique market research firms such as Wine Intelligence are smart about leveraging online consumer panels to enable their clients to remain agile by keeping the finger on the pulse of emerging wine preferences and consumption behaviours in real time, around the globe."

Note to editors: To download a copy of the Vinitrac Global Monitor executive summary report, please click here or email us at info@wineintelligence.com or contact GMI.

About the Vinitrac Global Monitor

The data for the Vinitrac Global Monitor study was collected in Q1 2007 using GMI's global consumer panel. A representative sample was collected in each of 11 countries, including Australia , Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Japan, Netherlands, Ireland, Switzerland, the UK and the USA. Sample was 1,000 wine drinkers in each country, except for the USA (n = 2,000), and Switzerland and Ireland (n = 500 respectively). All data was weighted to be representative of monthly wine drinkers in their respective country. For further information about the methodology behind the Vinitrac Global Monitor study, please contact GMI or Wine Intelligence at info@wineintelligence.com.

About Wine Intelligence Ltd.

Wine Intelligence is the leading research-led strategy consultancy serving the global wine industry. It conducts client-specific research projects to enable companies to gain greater insights into markets and consumers, and helps business leaders develop business strategy and marketing plans. The company also assists businesses in developing new brands, and in formulating and communicating marketing messages within the industry. For more information, please visit www.wineintelligence.com.

About GMI

GMI (Global Market Insite, Inc.) is the only provider of integrated solutions for global market intelligence for market research firms and Global 2,000 companies. Solutions include market research software, desktop analysis tools, 24x7x365 service bureau, and one of the world's largest, highly profiled, double opted-in managed panels, providing reach to six million consumers in 200+ countries. Founded in 1999 with world headquarters in Seattle, Wash., GMI has operations on five continents.  In 2006, the company ranked #93 in Inc. Magazine's Inc. 500. For more information, please visit us online at www.gmi-mr.com or email us.