Using winery web sites to launch relationships with Millennials

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the attitudes of Millennial wine consumers and determine if positive evaluations of the winery's web site lead to increased trust in the winery and perceptions of product quality, higher levels of brand equity, and increased purchase intentions. The tasting room experience will be evaluated for consistency with the image created by the web site and the meeting of Millennial expectations during the web site visit. Design/methodology/approach In total, 122 young people (Millennials) with an average age of 23 were asked to visit winery web sites and then evaluate the web sites for quality and perceptions formed relating to the overall image of the winery and its products. The participants were then asked to visit the winery and evaluate their winery experience and its products. Findings Web site quality was a significant predictor of increased trust in the winery and perceptions of the quality of the wine. Web site evaluations of brand equity carried over to influence evaluations of brand equity after the tasting room experience. When visiting the winery, the more the customers' expectations were exceeded, the higher the level of customer satisfaction with the tasting room experience. Research limitations/implications The research findings were based on a small convenience sample of 122 undergraduate US business students from Northern California. Future research should study larger and more diverse samples of the Millennial consumer. Practical implications Wine brands attempting to attract the Millennial customer should consider paying close attention to the design, development, and maintenance of a web site that appeals to the savvy Millennial consumer. Originality/value The potential for web sites to impact young adults' perceptions of the winery's image, trust in the winery, perceptions of wine quality, and intentions to visit the winery based on these perceptions has not previously been examined.