Innovation and entrepreneurial practices in the wine sector: Constant experimentation and playfulness

Abstract

Winemaking is a complex process of viticulture followed by a fermentation process with subsequent control of taste development. There are some stages in wine production where innovation practices may be applied: Grape variety, fermentation techniques, skin contact, whether to apply organic production and the collaboration with an oenologist or not are all focus points of innovation efforts. These efforts would have to cohabit in a wine sector where tradition and experience are highly valued. The authors have been studying how experimentation and practices of innovation take place in the wineries at the individual level and at different stages of wine production. The innovation processes are not radical innovation but tend to be entrepreneurial practices of experimentation. The article takes a first glance at how practice theory can be implemented in the study of wine and entrepreneurship. It investigates the relationship between winemaking practice and playfulness and experimentation to make a wine that stands out. The chapter is based on qualitative interviews in New South Wales (Australia), Var (France) and Ribera del Duero and Toro (Spain).