Mix Research, a research agency from St. Petersburg, Russia, conducted a survey of Russians aged 18-65 to analyze their preferences in alcoholic drinks.*

Almost a half of Russians drank wine during the last year.

Red wine was found to be most popular, with 71% preferring it. A third of respondents drink white wine, while the share of rose wine is less than 10%. Almost a half of respondents tend to choose semi-sweet wines, about 40% - dry and semi-dry, and no more than 15% choose sweet wine.

An overwhelming majority of wine drinkers choose to buy it in glass bottles. Other types of packaging, such as Tetra-Pack or cardboard boxes, are chosen by no more than 4% of wine consumers. According to the results of the survey, the most demanded packaging volume is 0.75 liters

More than a half of the respondents drink no more than half a liter of wine per month, about a third – from 0.6 liters to 1liter per month, the rest drinks more.

A third of respondents prefer wines produced in Russia. They are most represented in the 55-64 age group and the least represented among 18-24-years. A similar share of respondents likes Georgian wines; this wine is preferred the most by respondents who are 25-34 years old. The top three by popularity also includes French wines: about a quarter of respondents buy those most frequently.

Average expenditure for a bottle of wine among the respondents was 438.5 roubles. People of 18-24 years old buy the most expensive wines, while the 55-64 years olds prefer the cheapest ones.

*Information was gathered during a telephone survey. Respondents – citizens of 52 Russian cities aged 18-64 who consumed alcoholic drinks during the last year. 1014 respondents participated in the survey, while 796 of them consumed alcoholic drinks last year. Survey timing: February-March 2016.

Author: Kristina Kongo, Qualitative Research Specialist, Mix Research