Vol. 15 No. 1 (2026)
Original Research Article

The Influence of Country of Origin on the Perception of Wine Personality

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  • Marcin Adam Antoniak,
  • Andrzej Szymkowiak,
  • Marija Cerjak
Marcin Adam Antoniak
Poznan University of Economics and Business, Department of Market Research and Services, Al. Niepodległości 10, 61-875 Poznań, Poland
Andrzej Szymkowiak
Poznan University of Economics and Business, Department of Commerce and Marketing, Al. Niepodległości 10, 61-875 Poznań, Poland / Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Economics and Management, Kamýcká 29, 165 00 Praha-Suchdol, Czech Republic
Marija Cerjak
University of Zagreb, Faculty of Agriculture, Svetošimunska cesta 25, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36253/wep-19600

Published 2026-04-27

Keywords

  • wine,
  • product personality,
  • wine personality,
  • brand personality framework,
  • country of origin

How to Cite

Antoniak, M. A., Szymkowiak, A., & Cerjak, M. (2026). The Influence of Country of Origin on the Perception of Wine Personality. Wine Economics and Policy, 15(1), 3–18. https://doi.org/10.36253/wep-19600

Copyright (c) 2026 Marcin Antoniak, Andrzej Szymkowiak, Marija Cerjak

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Abstract

This study examines how the country of origin (COO) influences consumers’ perceptions of wine product personality, using Aaker’s (1997) five-dimensional framework: Sincerity, Excitement, Competence, Sophistication, and Ruggedness. An online survey of 848 UK consumers assessed perceptions of wines from France, Romania, the United States, and China – countries differing in winemaking tradition, historical depth, production scale, regulatory frameworks, market maturity, and international visibility. Results reveal significant cross-country differences in perceived product personality, showing that COO shapes symbolic and emotional perceptions beyond quality judgments. French wines scored highest on Sophistication, Sincerity, Excitement, and Competence, reflecting prestige and heritage, while Chinese and Romanian wines received lower overall scores, indicating less established identities. U.S. wines held an intermediate position, noted for Competence and Ruggedness. Consumer involvement intensified ratings across all dimensions, yet country rankings remained consistent, underscoring the robustness of COO-based associations. These findings demonstrate that COO influences not only perceived quality but also the products’ symbolic and emotional characteristics. By conceptualizing product personality at the country level, the study provides a framework linking geographical cues to anthropomorphic perceptions. The results offer actionable insights for marketers and producers leveraging COO in international positioning and storytelling strategies.

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