Beyond Malbec: Exploring Wineries' Perspectives on Diversification Strategies in Argentina's Wine Industry
Argentina's wine industry, built on the success of Malbec, now confronts market saturation and shifting consumer tastes, creating a strategic tension between its specialized identity and the need to diversify. This study explores this challenge by analyzing winery perspectives through data from a nationwide survey of 230 wineries, a targeted follow-up with 40 exporters, and in-depth interviews with key industry leaders. Findings suggest that wineries perceive the Malbec-led era of fast growth as over and are cautiously pursuing diversification, revealing a central strain: while operationally satisfied with Malbec, they are investing in change. They strongly favor lower-risk strategies, such as targeting new consumer markets and developing wine tourism, over higher-risk ventures, like exploring new terroirs or introducing new grape varieties. Despite this caution, there is a notable interest in varietals like Cabernet Franc. A key challenge for the industry appears to be expanding its identity beyond Malbec without diluting its brand. This paper provides empirical insights into the strategic priorities and perceived risks guiding this crucial transition.
Dr. Villanueva is a tenured Professor at Eastern Connecticut State University, the public liberal arts university of the state of Connecticut, United States, where he is also the Chair of the Department of Business Administration. Dr. Villanueva is a member of the International Wine Organization (OIV), the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE), the European Association of Wine Economists (EuAWE), and the Global Wine Business Institute (GWBI). He earned his OIV Wine MSc in Management and Marketing from the University of Paris and his Ph.D. in Economic History, with a dissertation on International Wine Business, from the University of Barcelona.
A wine business and economics scholar by education, his research focuses on international wine trade, the development of wine exports, and the history of the global wine industry. He has thoroughly researched the newly established New England wine industry and the more traditional Argentine wine industry. Dr. Villanueva is currently involved in several research projects focused on a firm-level study of the global wine industry.
He has published some articles with UCEMA faculty, e.g. “An Update of the Worlds of Wine: The Emerging Countries' Influence” (2022, International Journal of Economics and Business Research) with Dr. Ferro (UCEMA), and “The Impact of Innovator Types on Export Performance in the Argentine Wine Industry” (2025, Journal of Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies) with Drs. Ferro, Elías, and Gatti (UCEMA) and Dr. Depetris (HES-SO, HEG, Switzerland). He also has a manuscript under review, titled “Demand Elasticities in the International Markets for Malbec Wine Exports of Argentina,” co-authored with Dr. Ferro (UCEMA) and Drs. Castillo and García (UCLM, Spain).
Doctor en Economía, University of California at Berkeley. Director de la Licenciatura en Artes Liberales y Ciencias, un bachillerato universitario (BA). Fue presidente de la Asociación Argentina de Economía Política y editor en jefe del Journal of Applied Economics. Publicó en Ensayos Económicos, Económica, Journal of Development Economics, Estudios de Economía, Journal of International Economics, Journal of Public Economic Theory, Public Choice, Kyklos, Economics & Politics, Economía LACEA Journal y History of Economic Ideas, entre otras revistas académicas. Trabaja en un libro sobre el BA para flexibilizar la educación universitaria en Iberoamérica. Ciclista urbano y corredor.