Significant amounts of research have been conducted into what motivates people to visit wine regions and cellar doors. The results are important for you to consider when designing your cellar door infrastructure and experiences.

While most wineries would like to think that everyone who enters their door is actually interested in (their) wines the truth is actually quite different. It might be the case for a certain segment of the market, but for the majority, visiting a winery holds entirely different expectations. For some, a visit to a wine region and its wineries, is an opportunity to spend time with a partner and experience the region's natural attractions. Others are motivated to visit because of an event, or because they are visiting family and friends and it's a nice day out.

In fact, needs can differ even within the travel party, whereby some are genuinely interested in the wine while the rest would prefer to look at art, history or sample local produce. Very few wineries can afford to cater for just one market segment so most will need a range of strategies in place to address differing needs.

Top 5 reasons for visiting a cellar door:

• Leisure and recreation
• Taste wine and perhaps buy some
• Spend time with friends and relatives
• Relax with partner
• Learn more about wine

(Source: Tourism NSW Cellar Door Survey 2003)

• Relax and unwind
• Entertain friends and visitors
• Spend time with partner
• Visit a wine producing area
• Wine tasting at cellar door

(Source: SATC Cellar Door Survey 2003)

Applying the Information
Conducting your own research and analysing general visitor research is great, but applying it is what counts. Once you know a bit about your visitors you can tailor experiences that appeal to them.

For example, a Canadian winery conducted extensive consumer research, using the High and Low Involvement segmentation as the basis for their research. 'High Involvement' wine consumers are commonly regarded as "connoisseurs" who demonstrate a high degree of knowledge and interest in wine, and regular wine drinking habits. 'Low Involvement' consumers typically demonstrate a low requirement for wine knowledge and drink wine infrequently.

n relation to cellar door activities, results indicated that the 'High Involvement' consumers wanted quite separate facilities to general visitors, expected preferential treatment at the cellar door and events, wanted first option on tickets to special events and access to special offers through regular email alerts. Armed with this information, the winery created an exclusive wine club and a tailored communication program to cater for this segment. Separate tasting areas were made available for the use of members and their guests and fees charged accordingly.

The 'Low Involvement' consumers on the other hand, were more interested in experiential activities at the cellar door such as winery tours and tutored tastings. Specific tasting areas were also designed for these visitors to cater for their needs in a non-intimidating environment.

Clearly, a thorough understanding of what motivates visitors is essential to building an appropriate cellar door strategy. Information can be obtained from the wine industry, tourism industry, specialised research institutions and other sectors that collect consumer data. At the very least, subscribe to wine industry publications like Wine Industry Journal and Australian Grapegrowers & Winemakers. These publications regularly feature the latest wine consumer research and trends, and you should supplement with specific tourism research such as that from Tourism Research Australia and your State Tourism Organisation to keep abreast of changes and trends.