From wine production/consumption to wine exports/imports – An exploratory analysis about the competitive structure of the wine industry

The global wine industry seems to be characterized by some rigidity, at least in the major components of the business, that is, production, consumption, exports, and imports. This study aims to understand which kind of entrepreneurial paradigm is prevalent in this sector. The results of the investigation, at the descriptive and inferential level, demonstrate the expected rigidity, thus supporting the use of the structure-conduct-performance entrepreneurial paradigm as the reference. In this respect, as emerged from a subsequent positioning analysis of major/minor external/internal competitiveness (adopting innovative parameters, namely EPVOL—Exportation Power in Volume, EPVAL—Exportation Power in Value, IPVOL—Importation Power in Volume, and IPVAL—Importation Power in Value), collective marketing initiatives at the business and/or territorial level seem particularly profitable.