AN ON-SITE EVALUATION OF SELECTED IOWA WINERIES

Transcription

1 AN ON-SITE EVALUATION OF SELECTED IOWA WINERIES MYSTERY SHOPPER FINDINGS Prepared for: Heart of Iowa Wine Trail Member Organizations FINAL REPORT Prepared by: Des Moines Area Community College, Enology Program Johnson Research Studio January 13, 2009 Heart of Iowa Wine Trail Mystery Shopper Program Findings 1

2 Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY I. Background on the Purpose of the Study. 3 II. Key Findings.. 3 KEY FINDINGS I. Methodology... 4 II. Detailed Mystery Shopper Findings.. 5 a. Winery Experiences Sought and Obtained.. 5 b. Winery Experiences: Gender Differences.. 7 c. Tasting Room Experience 9 d. Tasting Room: Gender Differences.. 10 e. Tasting Room: Highly Satisfied vs. Average Visitor f. Overall Satisfaction.. 13 g. Overall Satisfaction: Gender Differences. 14 h. Overall Satisfaction and Dollars Spent at Winery 15 i. Winery Purchases. 16 j. Wine Purchase Influences on Buying Behavior 17 k. Evaluator Comments 20 l. Demographics 24 APPENDIX A. Confidential Findings for Each Winery Heart of Iowa Wine Trail Mystery Shopper Program Findings 2

3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. Background and Purpose of the Study The Heart of Iowa Wine Trail (HOIWT) is comprised of 15 native Iowa wineries located roughly in the center part of the state. This study originated from a desire by the HOIWT and Des Moines Area Community College Enology Program to gain a deeper understanding of visitor experiences to HOIWT wineries in an attempt to uncover areas for future growth and opportunities. 2. Key Findings Winery Experience: Experiences Sought and Obtained: Overall, it appears many of the Mystery Shopper Evaluators desired to have an educational, informative and personal experience with the winery. In many instances, the average shoppers desires were inadequately fulfilled. There were several key differences between the experiences men and women want and the degree to which they felt they got the experience. Men more often get the experience they wanted while women want more education and are less likely to get it than men. Tasting Room Experience: Overall, it is apparent mystery shoppers had a positive tasting room experience and did not feel very intimidated. Visitors felt very strongly about feeling welcomed and their ability to taste as many wines as they would like. Possible areas for improvement: in the tasting room may be found by: 1) Encouraging visitors to ask questions, 2) Explaining each wine thoroughly, and 3)Making sure the experience is informative. In all but two tasting room experience questions (i.e., tasting room was warm and inviting and I was allowed to taste as man wines as I wanted) female evaluators rated every other question substantially lower than their male counterparts. Overall Satisfaction: the data suggest visitors are quite satisfied with their Heart of Iowa Wine Trail experience (mean score = 6.97 out of 9). Higher satisfaction is associated with higher dollar purchases! Influences on Purchase Decisions: 1) Men place much more (15.8%) emphasis on excellent tasting wine.2) Men place much more (16.5%) importance on superior service. 3) Men are much more likely (16.5%) to indicate they would buy more of this wine. 4) Men are slightly more likely (6.7%) to say they felt obligated to purchase wine. 5) Women place much more (16.4%) importance on the attractiveness of labels. Heart of Iowa Wine Trail Mystery Shopper Program Findings 3

4 KEY FINDINGS I. Methodology The Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) Enology Program, in coordination with the Johnson Research Studio, recruited and trained 31 individuals to serve as mystery shoppers to the HOIWT from early Summer to late Fall, Each mystery shopper was instructed to visit at least three wineries during the sampling period and to complete a 6-page post-visit evaluation form. The instructions read: Volunteer: Please review the following mystery shopper guidelines to ensure evaluation reliability and project success. We are attempting to enact a realistic winery experience and provide valuable information to the winery owners. Therefore, it is very important that you behave as normally as you would at any Iowa winery. Here are some important things to remember: 1. Do not allow anyone to know you are a mystery shopper. 2. Try to keep an open mind during your experience and not be extra critical 3. Complete the evaluation form as soon as you exit the facility (in your car and out of sight). 4. Complete each question fully and to the best of your ability. 5. Return the completed form as soon as possible. This study authors created a Mystery Shopper Program, where trained evaluators acted as normal winery visitors to simulate a real HOIWT winery experience, without the prior knowledge of the winery and tasting room staff. Upon the conclusion of their visit, each evaluator completed an evaluation form. Seventy-four evaluations were obtained during the sampling period. Because of the informal sampling nature of this study (i.e., evaluators choose where and when to visit) we are unable to assign with a high degree of certainty the reliability of the findings. However, the intent of this particular type of research, using a blend of quantitative (survey) and qualitative (participant observation) research we feel the findings may represent a good cross section of visitor experiences who possess a variety of wine knowledge to HOIWT wineries. Heart of Iowa Wine Trail Mystery Shopper Program Findings 4

5 II. Detailed Mystery Shopper Findings In this section, we provide a detailed account of the evaluation questions the mystery shoppers completed after their winery visit. 1. Winery Experiences Visitors Want and Get Asked of everyone: The following are feelings or experiences that people sometimes seek at wineries. For each, please indicate how much you hoped to get AND how much you actually got from this winery visit. (For each set of evaluation criteria and elsewhere where warranted strengths and opportunities will be highlighted.) Figure 1. Winery Experiences People Want/Got (part 1) authentic winery exp taste locally made wine learn more about Iowa wine try something different tour a winery accompany a friend/loved one meet owner/winemaker tour vineyard enjoy wine outside Want Got Heart of Iowa Wine Trail Mystery Shopper Program Findings 5

6 Figure 2. Winery Experiences People Want/Got (part 2) Want Got 2 1 support Iowa wine visit another Iowa winery enjoy the scenery good time with fam/friends learn about winemaking learn about grape var's attend special event learn about lable reading to relax gain pairing knowledge Overall, it appears many of the Mystery Shopper Evaluators desired to have an educational, informative and personal experience with the winery. o In many instances, the average shoppers desires were inadequately fulfilled. Strengths: Trained evaluators indicated several experiences that were highly desired and achieved. o Taste Iowa Wine o Spending time with loved one or friend o Visiting another Iowa Winery o Having a good time with friends and families Opportunities: Mystery shoppers indicated several areas where their desires were not met; and therefore represent possible areas for improvement. o Tours of Winery & Vineyard - unmet desire. o Education Related Several areas related to an educational experience were unfulfilled. Learn about Iowa wine Learn about winemaking Learn about grape varieties Learn about label reading Gain pairing knowledge Heart of Iowa Wine Trail Mystery Shopper Program Findings 6

7 2. Winery Experiences Visitors Want and Get Gender Differences The same data sets were evaluated by comparing the experiences desired and achieved by men and women. Some notable differences emerged. Figure 3. Experiences Want/Got by Gender (part 1) authentic winery exp taste locally made wine learn more about Iowa wine try something different tour a winery accompany a friend/loved one meet owner/winemaker tour vineyard enjoy wine outside M-want M-got F-want F-got Figure 4. Experiences want/got by Gender (part 2) M-want M-got F-want F-got 1 support Iowa wine visit another Iowa winery enjoy the scenery good time with fam/friends learn about winemaking learn about grape var's learn about lable reading to relax gain knowledge of pairing attend special event Heart of Iowa Wine Trail Mystery Shopper Program Findings 7

8 Key Similarities Although some important distinctions can be determined, it is apparent from the data both men and women desire more educational-related experiences. Key Differences There were several key differences between the experiences men and women want and the degree to which they felt they got the experience. o Men more often get the experience they wanted. o Women want more education and are less likely to get it than men. Although men frequently did not get the high level education-related experiences they wanted, women report a much greater disparity in these areas: In particular, female mystery shoppers want to: Tour the Winery & Vineyard Learn more about Iowa wines Learn more about winemaking Learn more about grape varieties Learn more about label reading Learn about pairing food & wine Heart of Iowa Wine Trail Mystery Shopper Program Findings 8

9 3. Tasting Room Mystery Shopper Responses Asked of everyone: The tasting room is where many Heart of Iowa Wine Trail wine purchases are made. For each of the following statements, please indicate your level of agreement (-3 strongly disagree to +3 strongly agree). Figure 5. Tasting Room Experience warmly greeted -2-3 felt welcomed was encouraged to ask questions Wine server was knowledgable Server explained each wine to me Tasting room was warm/inviting Allowed to taste as many wines Felt a sense of gratitude fm staff felt intimidated Tasting room exp. was informative Would recommend winery to friends Strengths: Overall, it is apparent mystery shoppers had a positive tasting room experience and did not feel very intimidated. o Above +2 (moderate-highly positive) visitors felt very strongly about feeling welcomed and their ability to taste as many wines as they would like. Opportunities: Although generally positive in their opinions of their tasting room experience scores of less than +2 (or above -2 for the intimidation question) may be reflective of areas where improvement could make a difference. o Between +1 and +2 (low to moderate positive) areas for tasting room improvement may be found by: Encouraging visitors to ask questions Explaining each wine thoroughly Making sure the experience is informative (e.g., explaining where the grapes come from, how to pair it with food, and either taking visitor on a winery tour or verbally describe the process) Heart of Iowa Wine Trail Mystery Shopper Program Findings 9

10 4. Tasting Room Responses by Gender The same tasting room data sets were evaluated by comparing the tasting room experience by men and women. Some interesting differences emerged. Figure 6. Tasting Room Experience by Gender (part 1) Male Female warmly greeted felt welcomed was encouraged to ask questions Wine server was knowledgable Server explained each wine to me Figure 7 Tasting Room Experience by Gender (part 2) Tasting room was warm/inviting Allowed to taste as many wines Felt a sense of gratitude fm staff felt intimidated Tasting room exp. was informative Would recommend winery to friends Male Female -3 Heart of Iowa Wine Trail Mystery Shopper Program Findings 10

11 Key Similarities: Both male and female evaluators had positive tasting room experiences and agreed they were allowed to taste as many wines as they wanted. Key Differences: Men feel more intimidated by the tasting room environment than women. In all but two tasting room experience questions (i.e., tasting room was warm and inviting and I was allowed to taste as man wines as I wanted) female evaluators rated every other question substantially lower than their male counterparts. The following areas represent potential improvement opportunities by specifically focusing on female visitors: o Interpersonal Relationship with Staff Women tended to feel less welcome, less warmly greeted, and less gratitude from staff then men. Despite findings that suggest women feel less welcomed, they report feeling less intimidated and a stronger sense of warmth from the tasting room. o Information Inadequacy The data strongly suggests female winery visitors are not getting the same quality of information as men. Take Home Message: Particular attention may enhance the tasting room experience of women by training staff to Encourage women to ask questions Explain the wine thoroughly (e.g., pairing possibilities, label reading, etc.) Ensure tasting room staff is very knowledgeable and informative Heart of Iowa Wine Trail Mystery Shopper Program Findings 11

12 5. Tasting Room Highly Satisfied Visitors compared to Average Visitor The same tasting room data sets were evaluated by comparing the tasting room experience by those who reported being very satisfied with their winery experience (i.e., those who indicated an overall satisfaction of 8+, on the 1-9 scale of satisfaction) and the overall mystery shopper group. Figure 8. Tasting Room Experience - highly satisfied vs. average warmly greeted felt welcomed was encouraged to ask questions Wine server was knowledgable Server explained each wine to me Tasting room was warm/inviting Allowed to taste as many wines Felt a sense of gratitude fm staff felt intimidated Tasting room exp. was informative Would recommend winery to friends VeryS Average Overall, people whose experience was very satisfying (satisfaction = 8+) reported higher than average tasting room experiences in all questions. Strengths: The greatest disparity between those whose experience was extraordinary, and the average evaluators, can be seen across all questions; however, questions related to information garnered significant increases (e.g., encouraged to ask questions, tasting room was informative). In other words, service particularly related to warmth, knowledge and information exchange made for a very satisfying winery experience. Opportunities: There are opportunities for wineries to ensure the highest level of satisfaction by focusing efforts on quality service: 1) make sure each person who enters is acknowledged and greeted warmly, 2) encourage questions and probe for current wine knowledge, 3) ensure tasting room attendants are knowledgeable of each grape and wine served ability to describe pairing options would enhance experience. Heart of Iowa Wine Trail Mystery Shopper Program Findings 12

13 E. Overall Satisfaction. Asked of everyone: Overall, how satisfied were you with this Heart of Iowa Wine Trail winery visit today? (Scale from 1=very dissatisfied to 9=very satisfied). Figure 9. Overall Satisfaction Frequency Very dissatisified (1-3) Somewhat Satisfied (4-6) Very Satisfied (7-9) Overall, the data suggest visitors are quite satisfied with their Heart of Iowa Wine Trail experience (mean score = 6.97 out of 9). Of the 72 evaluators, 39% reported a very satisfying (8+) experience. No mystery shoppers reported any very low levels of satisfaction (1-3). Heart of Iowa Wine Trail Mystery Shopper Program Findings 13

14 6. Overall Satisfaction: Compared by Gender: The same overall satisfaction data sets were evaluated by comparing overall satisfaction by gender.. Figure 10. Overall Satisfaction by Gender (in percentage) 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% Somewhat Satisfied (4-6) Very Satisfied (7-9) Male Female On average, men and women rated their overall experience as quite good. Female: (n=44): Mean score = 7.0. Overall, the data suggests female evaluators were more likely to report higher extremes in their assessment of overall experience. For instance, 19% reported being extraordinarily satisfied (rated 9) and nearly 10% reported lower levels (rated 4). Male (n=30): Mean score = 6.9. Overall, men were slightly less likely to rate their experience at the extreme (rate of 9) but more likely to give very high marks (rated 7 or 8). Heart of Iowa Wine Trail Mystery Shopper Program Findings 14

15 7. Satisfaction: Level of Satisfaction by Dollar Amount Spent on Wine: The importance of understanding how satisfaction may be a deciding factor in consumer purchase behavior was investigated. In Table 1 (below) we recoded the satisfaction data to represent low-tomoderate (n=5), moderate (n=25) and high (n=25) levels and cross-tabulated the data by separating the amount of money mystery shoppers spent on wine into distinct groupings. Table 1. Level of Satisfaction and $Wine Purchased Level of Satisfaction Dollar Amount Spent on Wine under $13 $13 - $24.99 $25 - $34.99 Greater than $35 Low/Moderate (4-5) 1 (20%) 2 (40%) 2 (40%) 0 Moderate (6-7) 5 (20%) 10 (40%) 7 (28%) 3 (12%) High (8-9) 5 (20%) 6 (24%) 7 (28%) 7 (28%) Base: n=55 mystery shoppers. Note: some evaluators did not complete satisfaction portion of form. Only five mystery shoppers evaluated their experience as low-to-moderate. None of these shoppers spent more than $35. Although not an intended goal of the study, 55 mystery shoppers spent money at HOIWT winery visits. Four in ten evaluators spent at least $25 during their winery visit 56% of the very highly satisfied mystery shoppers spent at least $25 (with 28% spending more than $35) during their visit. Heart of Iowa Wine Trail Mystery Shopper Program Findings 15

16 8. Winery Purchases: Asked of everyone: Many visitors to the Heart of Iowa Wine Trail purchase wine and other wine-related items. On today s trip, please indicated which type of items you purchased. Table 2. Visitor Purchases from Winery Item Purchased Number of people making purchase wine 55 art 2 food 2 clothing 1 *16 evaluators did not make any purchase Most of the mystery shoppers purchased wine during their evaluation. 16 of 74 did not purchase anything. 47% purchased one bottle of wine More than one-third of all visitors purchased two bottles of wine 16% of mystery shoppers purchased more than three bottles of wine. For those that did not purchase any wine we asked, If you didn t purchase any wine today, could you let us know the reason? Figure 11. Reasons Visitor Did Not Purchase Wine Frequency didn't find one I liked too sweet Other too different server was inattentive Very few visitors failed to purchase wine, but those who chose not to most often indicated they did not find one they like. Heart of Iowa Wine Trail Mystery Shopper Program Findings 16

17 8. Wine Purchases: Influences on Wine Buying Behavior Asked of everyone: If you did purchase wine today, please tell us how much each of the following reasons influenced your purchase decisions (scale: 1=not at all to 7=very much) In Figure 12, we compare the average mean score for each question alongside male and female responses to gain a better understanding of the factors that may be part of their wine purchase decisions. Figure 12. Influences on wine purchase decisions by Gender and Average Mean Score Average Male Female 2 1 wine was excellent service was superior received special attention wine label was attractive tasting server recommended discounts for bulk purchases I would buy more of this wine felt obligated to buy wine Male Wine Buyers: In general, those men who purchased wine indicated to a higher level than others that excellence in wine, superior service were important drivers of their spending. Female Wine Buyers: In general, those women who purchased wine indicated to a higher degree than their counterparts special attention, attractive labels and recommendation by tasting room servers were important in their purchase decisions. Heart of Iowa Wine Trail Mystery Shopper Program Findings 17

18 9. Wine Purchases: Major influences (rating 6-7) by Gender and Differences We conducted analysis (Table 3) to determine the major influences on purchase decisions between men and women who bought wine and indicated being very influenced (rating a 6-7) by specific looking at each question separately (note differences). Table 3. Major Influences on Purchase Decisions (those scoring 6-7) and meaningful differences Purchase influences percentage of evaluators giving a Question score of 6-7 (very much influenced decision to buy). Male Female Difference Wine was excellent 78.3% 62.5% 15.8% Service was superior Received special attention Wine label was attractive Tasting server recommended Discounts for bulk purchases No 6-7 scores. No 6-7 scores None I would buy more of this wine Felt obligated to buy wine Base = 44 data represents those who purchased winery items and responded to question. Male Consumers: the most influential purchasing drivers for male wine consumers are: o Excellent tasting wines o Superior service Female Consumers: the most influential purchasing drivers for female wine consumers are: o Excellent tasting wines o Superior service Interesting Differences between Male/Female Consumers: o Men place much more (15.8%) emphasis on excellent tasting wine. o Men place much more (16.5%) importance on superior service. o Men are much more likely (16.5%) to indicate they would buy more of this wine. o Men are slightly more likely (6.7%) to say they felt obligated to purchase wine. Important Note: Both men and women report relatively low levels of a sense of obligation to purchase. However, many social science research studies have investigated the Rule for Reciprocation, which strongly requires that one person try to repay, in kind, what another person has provided (Cialdini, 2001). Whether one is given a favor, flower or a taste of wine in your tasting room, the reciprocity rule kicks in and says when you do sometime nice for me, I feel I need to do something in return. In the winery, that means buying your wine. In this study, men report feeling this sense for reciprocation at a modestly higher level than women. o Women place much more (16.4%) importance on the attractiveness of labels. Heart of Iowa Wine Trail Mystery Shopper Program Findings 18

19 9. Wine Purchases Influences Comparison of those very satisfied and average Figure 13 looks at the influences of wine purchasing behaviors on those the mean score (average winery visitor) and those whose overall experience is very satisfying. Figure 13. Influences on wine purchase decisions (average visitor compared to very satisfied) Overall Vsatis 2 1 wine was excellent service was superior received special attention wine label was attractive tasting server recommended discounts for bulk purchases I would buy more of this wine felt obligated to buy wine Overall, visitors who indicated a very satisfying experience show higher levels of purchasing influence across all questions, with the exception of feeing obligated to buy wine. Highly satisfied wine buyers tended to feel as though: o They received a higher level of superior service o They felt as though they received higher level of special attention. Heart of Iowa Wine Trail Mystery Shopper Program Findings 19

20 9a. Purchase Decisions. Asked of everyone: In most instances, who tends to make the wine purchasing decisions? Single (n=11) Couple (n=59) Option Freq. Option Freq. I make the wine purchase decisions 8 I make the wine purchase decisions 1 I seek advise to make purchases 3 I seek advise to make purchases 8 I need help but rarely ask for help 0 I need help but rarely ask for help 2 We make wine purchase decisions together 47 Couples: Nearly 80% of all respondents said the were part of a couple Of the couples, nearly 80% indicated they made their purchase decisions together. 13% said they (individually, as part of a couple) ask for advice. Singles: Approximately 72% of singles report making the wine purchase decision. Nearly 1-in-3 said they ask for help. Heart of Iowa Wine Trail Mystery Shopper Program Findings 20

21 10. Comments: Asked of everyone: We would welcome any other comments about your experience or the wine you tasted. Responses are verbatim from evaluation sheet. Q6. Owner was present. Q6. did not feel the dry reds had enough body. Q6. Wine was still young (referring to Q4 = 5) Q5.2 wine wasn't available (may have bought) Q6. Beautiful facilities, music on (day of week), will go back. Q5.2 Other: I just wanted to taste the wine (not purchase). Q6. I think the tasting room is exciting but the winery is so far out and on a gravel road. No comments Q6. Felt the lady was not that informed. We were really sort of intruding in what she was already doing. Also she was young. Parking lot was full of employee vehicles. Q6. Young winery. Deck a little bare. Q6. Our server was very new and didn't know much about the wine or the winery ~ although she was very friendly. Our cashier, however, was either in a bad mood or just a bit snobby. Q6. Tasting room décor nice but a little small. Q6. No place to sit in tasting room but there was a deck. Would like to attend (event) next year. Q6. Nice t-shirts with logo. Q6. Nice grounds, well groomed. Inviting porch. Q6. Some staff were snooty and rude. We passed another winery on the way there that we are curious about. Q6. Beautiful facility - nice staff. Q6. Tour by owner was excellent! Q6. Winery also has entertainment on (day of week) will go back for this. * incomplete evaluation - no comments No comments Q5.3 I plan to purchase some at a later date. Q6. It was enjoyable (owners) were nice. Wish they had seats a the tasting bar and wish they offered a tour. Q6. Nice winery. Our server was quiet, but helpful. Owners son was friendly and more informative. No comments Q6. The young woman serving wine was nice enough, but she knew nothing about wine or winemaking. Q6. Of all the wineries I visited today, this one was my favorite. The owner was terrific - warm, knowledgeable, and very accommodating. Q4. This vineyard/winery is super. Q6. For a small winery, it was very nice. The owner was knowledgeable. Heart of Iowa Wine Trail Mystery Shopper Program Findings 21

22 Q6. It's small but very nice. I was surprised. No comments Q1 (tour of winery & Q3.1) - owner did say they need to schedule it. Q6. Nice atmosphere. Only one worker - said they were in transition b/c of returning college studnets. VERY out of the way and harder to find. Need signs more than right at turn off. Q6. Some very unique wines! We bought (two types) of unique wines to give as a gift. A wedding was about to take place yet the owner treated us very nicely and spent a lot of time in the wine tasting portion of our visit. Q6. Very friendly and attractive. No comments Q6. Very nice facility, people very knowledgeable, warm atmosphere, we'll be back, good wine. Q6. We went with another couple for the evening and were pleasantly surprised by the accomodations, the band, good place to dance and friendly atmosphere. Q6. It will be better for the winery when they build their planned new building. Q1 (tour of winery). Unavailable on Sunday - gave verbal tour. Q6. Very busy place felt kind of not welcome when I walked in (name) was our personal sommelier was great. He stood with us the whole time and was very informative. Q1. (tour of winery) - unable to take the day we went - information was given as to when we could. Q6. Initially when we entered the winery we were not greeted initially. After a few minutes we were directed to back where samples were. Then experience was made much more positive. Q6. This was fun! Clean and friendly. This was the best tour today! Q5.3 I had already spent my wine budget - but I wall buy (these) wines in the future. Q6. This was my favorite of the six wineries we stopped at today. Q6. Too much Concord taste in all of the wines. No comments Q6. Directions were easy to follow. Q6. This is a small but fun winery! Try the (name) wine! Q6. They were hurried and I felt we were in their way. Q6. We did not find signs - but he said they were there. Friendly guy, very nice and informative!! Good stop. * Winery was closed ** Q6. Need signs to winery - hard to find. Information is wrong in book, they were not open. Will not be back. * Winery was closed ** Not available because they were closed. We were here at 12:40 on a Saturday - they were closed. The winery was not that easy to find - no signs. Q1. (to enjoy the scenery) Need to clean the valley. Q6. Landscaping need to happen. Show room was not well lit - kind of dark. Q6. The showroom was inviting, but dimly lit. The signage and directions are good. No comments Heart of Iowa Wine Trail Mystery Shopper Program Findings 22

23 No comments Q6. The area was well set-up and inviting. We asked about renting the facility and she was informative. Would like water to rinse my glass between tastings. Q3.2 (Tour of Vineyard) - rank 3 out of 7 - we just looked around the grounds. Q4 (satisfaction) - rate 6. The tasting room lady was not at all knowledgeable. Q6. I liked that the "sparkler" was made in the traditional method - prices were also reasonable. Would have preferred a glass, wine glass, to swirl instead of a plastic shot glass. Q6. The person waitin on us was very knowledgeable and knew a lot about wines, grapes and the making of wine. Nice facility. Q6. The owner was very knowledgeable of the grapes and different wines. Q6. We had an excellent tour of the winery. Q6. This location is very nice and convenient. Q6. The arbor was very pleasant. The winery was closed for an "emergency" when we arrived so we waited a bit in the arbor. When the attendant got back she was very apologetic - which was nice. Q5.3 (Other) I will purchase in the future. Q6. Some was really good - others not so good. Once again, gravel roads, but very good signs - pleasant outside sitting - had to wait for attendant. Q6. Nice setting. Q6. Great place. Nice tasting room. Q6. Great place, very informative server. Had a great time. Q6. The winery needs to have more signs. The signs they have are small. Q6. A long drive to get there but it was worth it. Q6. We enjoyed many of the wines. The outdoor area was beautiful, and we will return specifically to spend more time and definitely recommend it. No comments Q2. (warmly greeted) - very busy. Q6. We had previously visited the winery and stayed at their B&B and were given an extensive winery tour a that time. This evening was to enjoy the music provided and wine with friends. Q6. Two couples traveled to this winery for the first time and it was a good experience. The winery is off the beaten path, however. Very friendly and helpful. Q6. Very good time at this winery. Q6. This was an inside experience. We have been to the (day of week) events. Q6. This was a very pleasant experience, staff was very knowledgeable, will go back again. Heart of Iowa Wine Trail Mystery Shopper Program Findings 23

24 11. Demographics Age: Asked of Everyone: What is your age? Figure 14. Age Range of Evaluators Percentage under The average age of Mystery Shopper was 57.6 years. Gender. Asked of everyone: Are you male or female? Figure 15. Gender Volunteer Shoppers male 44 female Female 59% Male 41% Heart of Iowa Wine Trail Mystery Shopper Program Findings 24

25 Group Size: Asked of everyone: How many people are in your group today (including yourself)? Figure 16. Group Size Group Size Average group size was 2.9 Years Drinking Wine: We asked everyone: How long have you been drinking wine? Figure 17. Years Drinking Wine (ranges) Years years 7-10 years years years years more than 26 years Average Range: Between years Heart of Iowa Wine Trail Mystery Shopper Program Findings 25

26 Self-Reported Level of Wine Knowledge. We asked everyone: How knowledgeable of wine would you consider yourself? Figure 18. Self-Reported Level of Wine Knowledge Frequency Novice Expert 9 The average self-reported wine knowledge was 4.68 (out of 9). There is little variation between men (4.59) and women (4.73). Highest Level of Education. We asked of everyone: What is the highest level of education you have completed? Figure 19. Highest level of Education high school graduate some college Associates degree bachelors degree some graduate work masters degree professsional or doctorate degree 60% of mystery shoppers had a bachelors degree or higher. Heart of Iowa Wine Trail Mystery Shopper Program Findings 26