The Croatian consumer responses to the European GIs scheme of wine labeling

Abstract

The EU GI scheme has enabled Croatian producers to new creative marketing, increasing label diversity. The aim of this study is to explore consumer attitudes toward the Traditional terms and the PDO/PGI terms implemented in wine labeling after Croatia’s access to the EU. The results of 428 wine consumers’ questionnaires were analyzed regarding age, gender, and subjective knowledge. The awareness of the meaning of PDO/PGI and certification differ among consumers; women and younger demonstrated a lower understanding of new labels. Understanding Traditional terms is much better, but younger are less familiar with their qualitative meanings. Trust in the labels significantly increases with age. Attitudes toward the PDO/PGI and Traditional terms with respect to age and gender do not significantly affect behavior in wine purchases. Whether buying wine for themselves or as a gift, consumers have similar approaches to these labels, indicating the deep and strong influence of inherited tradition. However, the importance of PDO differs significantly depending on subjective knowledge. The research findings signal the need for consumer education and promoting the PDO’s meaning and value.