Pricing and Packaging of Sparkling Wines: Strategies for Formats, Bundles, and Limited Editions

Eduardo Dias Tocchetto; Lidiane Mendes Barbosa

DOI: 10.22167/2675-6528-202602847

Article derived from a Course Conclusion Work (TCC), with content based on the student’s original work and adapted to the editorial format of the E&S Magazine with the support of the ResumeAI tool, an artificial intelligence solution developed by Instituto Pecege for textual synthesis and organization.

Summary

The Brazilian wine industry faced challenges in pricing and packaging architecture, especially for small wineries operating with trial-and-error strategies. The study investigated how different presentation formats – individual 187 ml bottle, gift “kit” with glasses and wooden box, and numbered limited edition – influenced consumers’ willingness to pay and purchase intention for sparkling wine, using a small winery in Pinto Bandeira, RS, as the unit of analysis. A single instrumental case study with a mixed approach was adopted, combining an online questionnaire (168 valid responses), a semi-structured interview with the commercial manager, and documentary analysis of sales data for 24 months. The results indicated that the limited edition showed the highest average acceptance (3.86 on a five-point Likert scale), followed by the gift “kit” (3.59) and the 187 ml bottle (3.24). Consumers demonstrated a willingness to pay an average premium of 32.9% for limited editions and 19.05% for the “bundle”. Documentary analysis revealed a concentration of 94.2% of sales in the 750 ml format, while the interview confirmed the absence of a formal strategy for differentiation by packaging and the adoption of reactive pricing. A statistically significant association was found between income bracket and preferred packaging format, with the 187 ml bottle concentrating in lower income brackets and the limited edition in higher ones. It was concluded that packaging differentiation has the potential to enhance perceived value and contribute to the competitive strengthening of small wineries, demonstrating a concrete opportunity for improving commercial positioning.

Keywords: Purchase decision; Commercial strategy; Premiumization; Market segmentation; Perceived value.

1. Introduction

The Brazilian wine industry has experienced significant growth in recent years, consolidating Brazil as a relevant producer in the international beverage market. The Serra Gaúcha region, located in Rio Grande do Sul, represents the heart of this production, responsible for more than 90% of national sparkling wines (Ibravin, 2025). This growth, however, has brought with it specific challenges for small wineries seeking to establish their brands in an increasingly competitive and fragmented market.

One of the main difficulties faced by small wineries concerns the architecture of price and packaging, that is, the interconnected decisions about how to present, group, and price their products. Many small companies still use trial-and-error strategies, without support from empirical data or a clear conceptual structure. This purely reactive approach, often based on observing the competition, limits the potential for strategic differentiation and value capture.

Academic literature provides robust evidence on the power of packaging and price variables in the purchase decision of beverages. Packaging, for example, exerts significant influence on consumer choice, often surpassing in impact factors such as variety or organoleptic characteristics (Barber et al., 2006). Studies show that sophisticated and differentiated packaging, such as wooden boxes for premium wines, enhances perceived value by consumers (Sung et al., 2020). Bundling strategies, which group complementary products, are effective in increasing both purchase intention and transaction value (Stremersch and Tellis, 2002). The role of scarcity and limited editions in shaping the perception of premium value is also confirmed, justifying price premiums and increasing purchase intention (Barton et al., 2022; D’Astous and Jacob, 2002). Contemporary consumers value innovation in presentation formats (Orlowski et al., 2022) and respond positively to premium promotions (Palazón and Delgado-Ballester, 2009).

Despite this theoretical richness, there is a significant research gap regarding the structured application of pricing and packaging architecture in small Brazilian wineries. Most studies focus on large producers or on European and North American contexts, with few works exploring how small companies can implement these strategies in a practical and integrated manner, considering their operational constraints and limited resources (Núñez et al., 2024). This gap highlights the need for studies that integrate experience, price, and product presentation to enhance the competitiveness of small wineries (Grewal et al., 2018).

To reduce dependence on purely reactive analysis and competitor observation, the adoption of practical elasticity tests and the structuring of strategies based on empirical data become essential. Thus, this study is justified by the need to provide subsidies for small wineries to qualify their commercial policies and strengthen their competitive positioning, increasing the perceived value of their products. The present study aims to investigate how different pricing and packaging architecture strategies, varying packaging size (187 ml), “bundling” with complementary accessories, and limited editions, are associated with the willingness to pay and purchase intention of sparkling wine consumers, taking as a unit of analysis a small winery in Serra Gaúcha, and providing subsidies for empirically data-based commercial decisions.

2. Material and Methods

The research conducted was characterized as applied in nature, with a mixed methodological approach, combining quantitative and qualitative methods. The design employed was a single instrumental case study, according to Gil’s (2017) classification, which allowed for an in-depth investigation of a specific context. The unit of analysis was a small winery producing sparkling wines, located in the municipality of Pinto Bandeira, in Rio Grande do Sul.

The study was conducted with full knowledge and formal authorization from the investigated company. Prior to data collection, an Institutional Consent Form was obtained, signed by the legal representative of the winery in November 2025. This form authorized access to historical sales data, the conducting of an interview with the commercial manager, and the dissemination of results in an academic context, ensuring the transparency and ethics of the research.

Regarding the ethical aspects, the questionnaire was structured anonymously, without collecting personal identification from respondents, in addition to aggregated demographic information. The Ethical Considerations Form (ECF) was completed and approved by the academic institution, confirming the waiver of evaluation by a Research Ethics Committee (CEP), as it does not involve sensitive personal data and participation is voluntary. An informed consent section was included on the first page of the questionnaire.

For the semi-structured interview, the interviewee signed a specific Informed Consent Form (TCLE). This document formalized the awareness of the research objectives, consent for audio recording, and authorization for academic use of the provided information, with the caveat of confidentiality for strategic data that the interviewee requested to omit.

The research was structured in three complementary phases for data collection. The first phase consisted of documentary analysis, the second in the application of an online questionnaire, and the third in conducting a semi-structured interview. This triangulation of methods aimed to deepen the understanding of the phenomenon studied.

Phase 1 comprised the documentary analysis of the company’s sales data, referring to a period of 24 months prior, from January 2024 to December 2025. Information was collected on sales volume per product unit, revenue generated, average price per liter of sparkling wine, and distribution by sales channel, including retail, e-commerce, and direct-to-consumer sales.

Phase 2 consisted of applying an online questionnaire, developed in Google Forms and aimed at sparkling wine consumers. The questionnaire measured willingness to pay and purchase intention for three distinct presentation formats: individual 187 ml bottles at different price points; gift “kits” composed of a sparkling wine bottle, two glasses, and a wooden box; and limited editions with numbered bottles and special labels.

The sampling for the questionnaire was non-probabilistic by convenience, with distribution via WhatsApp to consumer and wine enthusiast groups. A minimum target of 150 valid responses was established. The priority audience defined was the South region of Brazil, encompassing Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, and Paraná, although the questionnaire remained open to respondents from any state. The collection period extended from December 2025 to February 2026.

The online questionnaire was divided into four sections. Section A investigated sociodemographic characteristics, such as age group, gender, monthly family income, education level, and state of residence. Section B addressed wine and sparkling wine consumption habits, including consumption frequency, preferred types, average monthly spending, main purchase occasions, and usual channels.

Section C presented the three price and packaging architecture scenarios, each measured using a five-point Likert scale. In Scenario 1, the individual 187 ml bottle was presented at different price points. Scenario 2 presented the gift “kit”, comparing the willingness to pay for the “bundle” versus the separate purchase of the items. Scenario 3 presented the limited edition, investigating the acceptance of a price premium.

Section D of the questionnaire contained an open-ended question about the most important factor in the decision to purchase sparkling wine. On the first page of the questionnaire, the Consent agreement was included, informing about the academic nature of the research, the guaranteed anonymity, and the possibility of interrupting participation at any time.

Phase 3 consisted of a semi-structured interview conducted with the winery’s commercial manager. The interview was held in person at the company’s premises, in Pinto Bandeira, RS, lasting approximately 60 minutes. The interview script comprised 12 open-ended questions, organized into three thematic axes: current decision-making processes regarding pricing and packaging; operational constraints and feasibility of new formats; and strategic vision on the potential of “bundling”, limited editions, and alternative packaging formats.

The interview was recorded in audio, with prior authorization from the interviewee, and subsequently transcribed in full. The transcription was returned to the interviewee for validation, a procedure known as “member checking” (Creswell and Creswell, 2018), which aimed to ensure fidelity in the interpretation of the statements. The analysis of the interview data followed Bardin’s (2016) content analysis method.

For the analysis of quantitative data from the questionnaire, descriptive statistics were used, including calculation of mean, median, standard deviation, and absolute and relative frequencies for each item. Cross-tabulations were performed to compare willingness to pay by distinct demographic groups, such as age range, income level, and consumption frequency. The chi-square test was applied to investigate associations between categorical variables. Data processing and organization were carried out in a spreadsheet.

For the qualitative data, content analysis (Bardin, 2016) was employed for the open-ended questionnaire responses and the transcription of the semi-structured interview. The analysis followed three stages: pre-analysis, with floating reading and organization of the “corpus”; material exploration, with identification of recording units and coding into thematic categories; and results treatment, with interpretation and inference. For the interview, the categories emerged from the intersection between the script’s axes and the themes inductively identified in the transcription.

Historical sales data were analyzed in terms of volume, revenue, and average price evolution. The working spreadsheet used in the analysis is available in supplementary material/electronic file presented along with this work.

3. Results and Discussion

The research revealed consumer perceptions and behaviors regarding sparkling wine in relation to different packaging formats and pricing strategies, providing subsidies to enhance the commercial positioning of small wineries. The results indicated a clear hierarchy of preference among the tested formats, with the limited edition and the “gift kit” demonstrating greater perceived value potential and purchase intention. The analysis of quantitative data, complemented by qualitative insights from the interview with the commercial manager and documentary sales data, allowed for a comprehensive understanding of the operational opportunities and challenges for implementing these strategies.

The questionnaire sample, composed of 168 valid respondents, presented a diversified demographic profile, with a female predominance (57.1%) and an age concentration between 30 and 39 years old (34.5%). The most frequent monthly family income was between R$ 5,001 and R$ 10,000 (38.1%), and the majority had completed higher education (42.3%) or postgraduate studies (35.7%). The participants’ residence was concentrated in Rio Grande do Sul (62.5%), followed by Santa Catarina (15.5%) and Paraná (11.3%), reflecting the priority target audience defined for the study and conferring regional relevance to the findings.

Regarding sparkling wine consumption habits, 36.9% of respondents declared occasional consumption (one to three times a month), while 28.0% indicated regular consumption (one to two times a week). Celebrations and special dates (78.6%) were the main purchasing occasions, followed by gifts (52.4%) and social gatherings (47.0%). Supermarkets and hypermarkets (58.9%) were the most cited purchasing channels, but specialized stores (44.0%) and e-commerce (38.7%) also stood out, highlighting the diversity of consumer touchpoints with the product.

Scenario 1, which evaluated the individual 187 ml sparkling wine bottle, obtained an average purchase agreement of 3.24 on a five-point Likert scale, with a standard deviation of 1.18, indicating moderately positive acceptance. Price range analysis revealed that acceptance decreased as price increased, suggesting consumer sensitivity to the relationship between convenience and perceived cost. This format is valued for its practicality, but its acceptance reaches a limit when the price premium becomes excessive, as pointed out by the literature on the importance of price-value fit in alternative packaging (Orlowski et al., 2022).

Income segmentation showed that the 187 ml bottle had a higher concentration of preference among respondents from lower income brackets. This finding suggests that the individual format may act as an entry-level product or an option for individual consumption in situations of lower expenditure, aligning with the strategy of acquiring new consumers or expanding into price-sensitive markets. Convenience and controlled portion size are attributes that may justify the purchase, provided the price is perceived as fair for the value delivered.

In Scenario 2, the “bundle” kit, composed of a 750 ml bottle of sparkling wine, two flute glasses, and a wooden box, achieved an average purchase agreement of 3.59, with a standard deviation of 1.05. The most significant result was that 64.3% of respondents declared they would pay more for the “kit” than for the sum of the items purchased separately. This data indicates a clear perception of added value in the grouping of the offer, corroborating the literature on “bundling” which points to an increase in purchase intention and transaction value through well-structured combinations (Stremersch and Tellis, 2002).

The perceived value of the “kit” seems to be linked not only to the material content but also to the delivery experience and the social meaning of the product, especially on gift occasions. The average acceptance was even higher among consumers who habitually buy sparkling wine as a gift, reinforcing the potential of the “bundle” as a strategy to increase the average “ticket” and, simultaneously, attract new consumers. The sophisticated packaging, such as the wooden box, contributes to this perception of premium value, as evidenced by Sung et al. (2020) in high-end wines.

Scenario 3, referring to the limited edition, obtained the highest overall average purchase agreement, reaching 3.86, with a standard deviation of 1.02. This result demonstrates that exclusivity is an attribute of great appeal to sparkling wine consumers. When informed that the bottle would be individually numbered, with a special label and production restricted to 500 units, 71.4% of respondents indicated a willingness to pay an average premium of 32.9% compared to the regular version of the product. This finding is in line with the literature on scarcity and symbolic differentiation, which argues that signals of exclusivity increase perceived value and justify higher prices (Barton et al., 2022; D’Astous and Jacob, 2002).

Higher adherence to the limited edition was observed among consumers from higher income brackets, suggesting that this strategy resonates with profiles more sensitive to intangible attributes such as authenticity, uniqueness, and distinction. For small wineries, the limited edition represents a promising opportunity to strengthen brand positioning and capture value without relying exclusively on economies of productive scale. The ability to offer something unique and exclusive can be an important competitive advantage in a saturated market.

The comparative analysis of the three scenarios revealed a consistent hierarchy of preference: limited edition (3.86), followed by the gift “kit” (3.59), and the individual 187 ml bottle (3.24). This pattern indicates that consumers place greater value on strategies that reinforce exclusivity, sophistication, and gifting potential, over mere reduction in packaging volume. The formats are not mutually exclusive and can play complementary roles within a segmented commercial strategy, with the “kit” acting as an entry mechanism and the limited edition for capturing higher value.

To investigate the association between preference for presentation formats and the economic profile of respondents, a chi-squared test of independence was performed between monthly family income range and preferred packaging format. The test presented a chi-squared value of 40.29, with 6 degrees of freedom and p < 0.001. This result allowed the rejection of the independence hypothesis, indicating a statistically significant association between income range and preferred packaging format in the surveyed sample.

The results of the association between income and preference showed that the 187 ml bottle was concentrated in the lower income brackets, while the limited edition had a higher relative share among respondents from higher income brackets. The “gift kit” presented an intermediate distribution, with a particularly high concentration among respondents in the 3 to 6 salary bracket. This differentiation by income segment reinforces the potential of a portfolio strategy that includes multiple formats to meet the distinct needs and purchasing power of consumers.

The qualitative analysis of the responses to the open-ended question about the most important factor in the sparkling wine purchase decision identified five predominant themes: price and cost-benefit, quality and taste, presentation and packaging, third-party recommendation, and winery reputation. Although price and quality were the most mentioned attributes, packaging emerged spontaneously as a relevant factor, reinforcing its importance in the purchase decision. This finding is consistent with the literature that highlights packaging as a functional element and an indicator of quality, value, and suitability for the consumption context (Barber et al., 2006).

The recurring mentions of “beautiful presentation”, “elegant box”, and “visual impact in gift situations” reinforce that, in the sparkling wine market, packaging transcends simple product protection, playing a crucial role in social and symbolic occasions. This aesthetic and communicative dimension of packaging is a strategic differentiator, especially for high-involvement products like sparkling wine, where the perception of value is built on multiple factors beyond intrinsic content.

The semi-structured interview with the winery’s commercial manager revealed that pricing decisions are predominantly reactive, based on comparison with regional competitors, without a formal costing methodology or demand elasticity analysis. This practice, common in small businesses (Núñez et al., 2024), indicates an opportunity for professionalization. The manager confirmed the absence of formal differentiation strategies through packaging, “bundling”, or exploration of exclusivity attributes, despite recognizing the potential of these formats.

Three operational barriers were identified for the adoption of new formats: the high cost of acquiring 187 ml bottles in small batches, the need to adapt the bottling line for smaller formats, and the minimum batch required by suppliers of differentiated packaging, such as wooden boxes. However, the manager demonstrated strategic openness to overcome these barriers, indicating that the investment would be justified if there was evidence of demand, which the questionnaire results began to provide, validating the practical relevance of the study.

The manager showed particular enthusiasm for the concept of limited editions, considering it aligned with the company’s desired positioning. He reported that the winery had already considered producing numbered series, but never formalized the initiative due to a lack of data on market acceptance and price premium definition. The research results, which indicated an average premium acceptance of 32.9%, were received as relevant strategic information to enable the first limited edition, transforming an idea into a grounded action plan.

Regarding “bundling”, the manager confirmed the absence of a formal “kits” or combos strategy, although the company assembles “kits” on demand for commemorative dates. He acknowledged that this ad hoc approach does not allow capturing the perceived value identified in the research (a 19.05% premium over the sum of individual items) and expressed interest in structuring a permanent line of “kits” in the future, especially for the direct-to-consumer sales channel at the winery. The feasibility of laboratory-scale production is already partially validated by the company’s current practice.

The operational structure of the “kit” present, composed of a bottle of sparkling wine, two flute glasses, and a wooden box, was designed for gift occasions. In addition to the minimum batch of wooden boxes, the transport of glass cups was identified as an additional restriction, requiring reinforced internal packaging to prevent breakage, especially in e-commerce sales. This logistical issue increases the cost of the “kit” compared to the individual bottle, demanding attention in pricing and supply chain management.

The documentary analysis of the company’s sales data, covering 24 months (January 2024 to December 2025), revealed a concentration of 94.2% of the traded volume in 750 ml bottles, with minimal participation of alternative formats. Only 3.8% of sales corresponded to individual 187 ml bottles and 2.0% to magnum bottles. This result highlighted a high dependence on the traditional offering configuration and low portfolio diversification from the perspective of packaging and commercial composition.

The documentary data reinforced the diagnosis that the company operates in a predominantly reactive manner, limiting its ability to explore commercial differentiation strategies that have shown favorable acceptance among the surveyed consumers. The variation observed between sales channels and margins per product line also indicated opportunities for differentiated value capture that are not being systematically exploited through a more structured pricing and packaging architecture. The convergence of findings from the questionnaire, interview, and documentary analysis confirms the need for a more strategic approach.

The study’s limitations, such as non-probabilistic convenience sampling and the measurement of stated purchase intention in hypothetical scenarios, restrict the generalization of findings to the entire sparkling wine consumer market. However, triangulation between quantitative, qualitative, and documentary data broadened the interpretive consistency of the results and strengthened the applied nature of the research. This combination allowed not only for the identification of consumer preferences but also for their confrontation with the operational reality of the analyzed company, offering practical subsidies for management.

As a consequence of the limitations and findings, it was observed that the company already implicitly practices price segmentation by channel, with the price in the restaurant channel being about 53% to 54% of the price charged to individuals for the same product. It is recommended that the winery management move towards a direct measurement of the demand function through real price elasticity tests, comparing the response of sales volume to different final consumer selling price points. Low-cost alternatives, such as the Van Westendorp (Price Sensitivity Meter) method or price A/B tests on small batches of direct sales, could be implemented for the limited edition and “kit” formats already validated in this study.

This approach would allow the winery to migrate from reactive pricing, based on competitor benchmarks, to pricing driven by real consumer behavior data. Structuring commercial actions more consistent with the consumer’s profile and the company’s intended positioning is a way to strengthen competitiveness. The results indicate that price and packaging architecture is a relevant instrument of commercial differentiation for small wineries, with value propositions of exclusivity, differentiated presentation, and convenience generating greater attractiveness and expanding perceived value.

4. Conclusion

This study investigated the association between different price and packaging architecture strategies – such as 187 ml bottles, gift “kits”, and limited editions – and consumers’ willingness to pay and purchase intention for sparkling wine, focusing on a small winery in the Serra Gaúcha region. It was found that the limited edition had the highest acceptance, followed by the gift “kit” and the individual 187 ml bottle. Consumers showed a willingness to pay an average premium of 32.9% for limited editions and 19.05% for the “bundle”. A statistically significant association was identified between income level and preferred packaging format, with the 187 ml bottle concentrating in lower income brackets and the limited edition in higher brackets. Document analysis revealed a high concentration of sales in the traditional 750 ml format, while the interview with the commercial manager confirmed the absence of a formal packaging differentiation strategy and the adoption of reactive pricing. These findings indicate that packaging differentiation has significant potential to enhance perceived value and contribute to the competitive strengthening of small wineries, offering empirical subsidies to improve commercial positioning.

However, the results should be interpreted considering the study’s limitations, such as non-probabilistic convenience sampling and the measurement of declared purchase intention in hypothetical scenarios, which restricts generalization to the overall sparkling wine consumer market. The observed association between income and preference should not be interpreted as causality. It is recommended that future studies advance to the direct measurement of the demand function through real price elasticity tests, such as the Van Westendorp method or A/B tests in small batches of direct sales, especially for the limited edition and “kit” formats. It is also suggested to expand the investigation to other producing regions and to evaluate the effects of implementing these strategies in a real market context, in order to consolidate data-driven pricing based on actual consumer behavior.

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Article originating from the Final Course Work of the Specialization in Business Management of the MBA USP/Esalq

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