Finding Common Ground: The Need for Cooperation and Collaboration in the Spanish Natural Wine Industry

Rosana Fuentes Fernández

doi:10.26813/wbcrj/2019.03.01/finding

Abstract

In fall 2018 and late spring 2019, five small natural wine producers in Spain pondered the potential for cooperation and collaboration in their segment of the wine industry. As these niche producers shared their common goals and challenges, they debated how to come to a consensus about pooling resources and working together to educate trade customers as well as the prospective natural wine consumer. Providing an overview of the Spanish wine industry and the natural wine segment, this applied research paper uses comparative case studies to explore the potential of incorporating cooperative relationships that could help these producers grow their businesses, share farming and wine-making techniques, and educate consumers about natural wines. Similar to previous cooperative relationships undertaken in other wine-producing regions, co-opetition might not only perform branding and collaborative marketing and reward entrepreneurial activities in Spain’s natural wine sector, but also carry some downsides in terms of autonomy and control over decision-making.

Highlights

Natural wines represented an emerging wine segment that appeared to be growing in popularity among the Generation Y (Millennials) and Generation Z, demographic groups that tended to be health and environmentally conscious consumers
This paper explores the benefits for small, individual, natural wine producers to engage in cooperative and collaborative relationships, which would be significant for industry growth and value creation
Our study explored the many challenges facing the natural wine producers of Spain and what, if any, benefits cooperative relationships would bring to these producers

Summary

Introduction

Natural wines represented an emerging wine segment that appeared to be growing in popularity among the Generation Y (Millennials) and Generation Z, demographic groups that tended to be health and environmentally conscious consumers. Natural wines were loosely defined as those made from grapes grown by small, independent farms and harvested by hand from sustainable, organic, or biodynamic vineyards. These wines typically contained no additives or sulfites, and were believed to be a healthier alternative to their mass-produced counterparts. The European Union (EU) appeared to be on the forefront of producing natural wines since many small, traditional wine businesses were located there

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