Why consumers drink natural wine? Consumer perception and information about natural wine

Similar to other foods, the concept of natural wine is much debated due to the lack of a clear and regulated definition, leading to a proliferation of heterogeneous norms and standards proposed from different natural wine associations at national levels. The current study explored the aspects which mediate individuals’ information and perception of natural wine, and the rationale behind natural wine consumption behavior among Italian (n = 501) and Spanish (n = 527) regular wine consumers. The results reveal a quite low self-reported degree of perceived information by Italian respondents and slightly higher levels among Spanish ones. The key drivers of natural wine consumption in both countries are wine consumption frequency, information, and natural product interest. In contrast, higher wine involvement levels decrease natural wine consumption frequency in both Italy and Spain. The findings also show that different perceptions lead to diverse motivations, suggesting the need for more homogeneous standards to mitigate the level of information asymmetry currently on the market.This paper was supported by the Spanish Plan of Innovation, Technical and Scientific Research 2017–2020 – Ramón and Cajal Ref. RYC2018-024025-I. The dissemination of the survey in Spain was supported by the Observatorio Español del Mercado del Vino (OEMV), Vitivin, Spanish Wine Lover, Gourmet Hunters, Bodegas.bio, Indie Spanish Wines, Vinos Utópicos, Junguitu ¿hablamos de vino?, El Sumiller, and Vinófilos. We acknowledge the support of the publication fee by the CSIC Open Access Publication Support Initiative through its Unit of Information Resources for Research (URICI).Peer reviewe