Research reveals six classifications of wine consumers.

Constellation Wines believes it may have fresh insight into the drinking and buying habits of premium wine consumers in the United States. The world's leading wine company made the claim after conducting what it called one of the largest consumer research projects ever conducted by the wine industry. Constellation said that data from Project Genome, as the study has been called, indicates that there is no typical wine consumer; rather, consumers tend to fall into six unique segments, each with its own set of attributes, motivations, preferences and shopping behaviors.

According to the study, conducted by Copernicus Marketing Consulting and Research, Inc, premium wine consumers surveyed fell into six segments: Enthusiast, Image Seeker, Savvy Shopper, Traditionalist, Satisfied Sipper and Overwhelmed.

Enthusiasts are consumers who are passionate about the entire wine experience from researching what they buy to sharing their discoveries with friends and family. Image Seekers feel sophisticated on one hand and adventurous and trendy on the other hand--they are just as likely to choose wine with sophisticated labels as wine with fun, image-driven labels. Savvy Shoppers seek great wines at a great value; they enjoy drinking and shopping for wine and believe that good wines need not cost a lot of money. Traditionalists want to feel that their wine is made by a well-known winery that's been around for a long time, while Satisfied Sippers look for a sensible choice they can feel comfortable serving to friends and family. Overwhelmed consumers, who make up the largest group, 23%, find shopping for wine complex and worry about making a mistake. Good shelf descriptions and staff recommendations play a key role in their purchase decisions.