Cooperatives, wine clusters and territorial value: evidence from an Italian case study

The objective of the research is to investigate whether the strategic dynamics of wineries that operate in a wide homogeneous territorial system can result in a relational space and play the role of a wine cluster, and if so, how. For this purpose, a group of Italian wine cooperatives has been analysed through a framework that attempts to integrate all the most relevant quantitative and qualitative components of a local territorial system. The study has been carried out in three steps: identifying the elements of the wine cluster, bringing each element into a specific matrix of analysis and recreating the matrices within a synthesis framework. The results show that the cluster is not identified with the wine region. Instead, it is formed through the homogeneity of the businesses’ strategic orientations, which has led to a specific territorial identity.