What’s driving the rise of NLM wines?

(Press-News.org) New research from Adelaide Business School at the University of Adelaide provides a framework for understanding the growing consumer interest in no, low and mid (NLM) alcohol wines.

Dr Hannah Ford’s comprehensive scoping review, published in Journal of Marketing Management , suggests that consumer adoption of NLM wines is influenced by a range of factors, while wine businesses themselves play a pivotal role.

“The global wine industry is evolving rapidly in response to growing health-conscious and moderation-driven drinking trends,” Dr Ford explains. “The review proposes that appeal to NLM wines is influenced by social factors, habits, self-identity, emotional responses, and product tangibility. This mirrors the elements of a ‘SHIFT’ behavioural framework where future research can look deeper into the effect of these key psychological factors in messaging.”

The study also emphasises the crucial role wine businesses — particularly retailers and marketers — play in shaping consumer perceptions. Findings highlighted the importance of market acceptance, positive affirmations, and customer engagement to drive sustainable consumption, which aligns with the “MAPED” framework of understanding behaviours by considering motivation, action, and prompts.

The scoping review, which analysed 38 peer-reviewed research articles, underlines that although research in this space has expanded significantly over the past decade, deeper, theory-driven insights remain limited.

“The majority of studies reviewed low or reduced alcohol wines. Meanwhile, few focused on no-alcohol wine, and even fewer compared both no and low alcohol products,” Dr Ford says.

“Early literature on no and low alcohol wines, from 1990 to 2000, identified the need for research in response to the increasing alcohol strength of wines; but more recently, research has been driven by the rise of the ‘sober curious consumer’ and broader ‘moderation’ trends.”

The first publication in the field of consumer behaviour and no and low alcohol (NoLo) wines dates back to 1994, yet the first study focused specifically on consumer perceptions of no-alcohol wine was not conducted until 2012, nearly twenty years later. Since then, publications have more than doubled in the past decade, highlighting growing interest in the topic.

“The review identifies key gaps in current literature, including the need for more research across different wine styles, for example sparkling, rosé, white, and red as well as various alcohol strengths,” Dr Ford says.

“It also stresses the importance of exploring cross-cultural and psychographic differences in understanding consumer behaviour. The review calls for more realistic study designs, including sensory tastings and choice-based tasks, to better predict purchasing behaviour.”

Dr Ford says the research is important in helping to shape the future of the wine industry.

“Adelaide Business School is proud to be at the forefront of advancing research in the emerging NML wine category,” she says, where the University of Adelaide is home to a NoLo wine research facility.

“This research provides essential insights for academics, marketers, and wine producers aiming to support the global shift towards more sustainable and health-conscious wine consumption.”

Dr Ford suggests future research should focus on emotional responses, cross-cultural influences, implicit decision-making, and the application of behavioural theories such as Cognitive Dissonance and Behavioural Reasoning Theory.

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