How sweet is your wine? - A reflection on consumers choices

¹ Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock - Avenida Loureiro da Silva, 515, sala 807, CEP 90010-420
² Oenological Reference Laboratory (LAREN/SEAPI). Avenida da Vindima, 1855, CEP 95084-470, Caxias do Sul, RS, Brazil

Abstract

The culture of wine consumption reaches consumers of different ages, behaviors and life habits. The introduction of new consumers in the world of wine often happens through the consumption of wine-derived beverages, in most cases with a high sugar content, due to reasons of palatability, familiarity and acceptance. This is due, among other reasons, to the conditioning of the consumer's palate to the sweet taste, also causing a high consumption of sugary drinks such as soft drinks, in addition to several other foods with a high content of added sugars. In the case of beverages, the sweetening is a resource frequently used throughout the industry to provide greater palatability to the product, attracting consumers who prefer sweeter flavors, and may also provide greater acceptance among the youngers, in addition to potentially leading to immoderate consumption of alcoholic beverages. These habits have a direct impact on consumers' health, mainly because they favor the development of non-communicable chronic diseases (NCDs. With the aim of seeking to better understand the profile of Brazilian consumers of wines and grapes derivatives, and their relationship with the consumption of sugar and alcohol, a survey was carried out through the application of a questionnaire.