Wine is a product of great interest in Greece and around the world. Although both Greek and global production have fluctuated over the years, the trend is an upward one due to the introduction of new vine cultivations and techniques. Despite the parallel increase in international demand, prices have not followed suit. The main exporting countries are: France, Italy, Spain, Germany and Portugal. In Greece, in the period 1984-1985, red wine represented 32.37% of total production, whilst white wine 67.63% (vino di qualità prodotto in regioni, herein after VQPRD) represented only 5.76% of total production). In the period 1994-1995, red wine production as a percentage of total production dropped to 20.82%, whereas for white wine increased to 79.18%, with VQPRD production rising slightly to 7.33%. In recent years, red wine production has recovered and now represents one-third of total wine production. Other than the grapes, the basic production factors for wine makers are the inputs for grape production and bottling, including, among other things, carton packs, fuel, electricity and corks. A more detailed analysis shows that the inputs for production represent 15% of total costs, energy 7%, and enzymes and additional ingredients only 2%. A local research has revealed that Greeks usually drink in taverns/restaurants, bars/pubs and at home, with the consumption of bottled table wine being the greatest, followed by unbottled wine. Although wine labels are of little to medium importance to Greek consumers, wine prices have a major impact on their choice of wine, especially among public sector workers. The research also revealed that consumption is independent of income fluctuations due to the economic crisis. Interestingly, education level affects the kind of purchased packaging (bottled or unbottled wine) for at home, the price of purchased wines, consumption levels and label preferences. People with a higher education tend to consume bottled and more expensive wines, thereby paying particular attention to the wine label, with some differences found according to employment status and wine prices. It is put forward that people in higher income categories are more likely to maintain their wine consumption during bad economic times and crises.
