The Role of Government in a Developing Wine Industry: A Comparative Study of Policy in Chile and Argentina

Abstract

Wine is a culturally significant and globally demanded product responsible for a multi-billion-dollar industry. It is also a unique product because of the overwhelming significance that national and regional branding has compared to private branding. This feature uniquely implicates the governments of burgeoning wine industries in their success. This thesis will examine the most effective role of government policy for a developing wine industry using qualitative observations from the wine sectors of Chile and Argentina. International free market accessibility and export encouragement are the two most beneficial neoliberal policy stances a government overseeing a developing wine industry can promote. As will be observed, there are opportunities for active government involvement in the development of a wine sector. In areas such as marketing, research, and product development, the national government can play an integral role in industry success through integrated programs that collate public and private resources.