Business models in the French wine industry, between continuity and innovation. An analysis of Bordeaux’ châteaux
Our study contributes to the renewal of the analysis of the wine industry from the example of the Bordeaux vineyard. As, the adaptations within the sector are based on a progressive evolution of individual exploitations, we base our analysis on the business model (BM) framework, that describes in a systematic way the processes of value creation and capture. We combine this with the “strategy tripod” model to understand the extent to which pressures from the institutional context, accessible resources and competitive positioning can influence individual BMs. Our research proposal is that the institutional context forces estates to adopt common positioning, resources, and ultimately an archetypal BM, while leaving them some capacity for variation. It contributes to raising barriers to entry, freezing the hierarchy of domains, favouring the most prestigious ones to the detriment of others. Some producers may decide to bypass this institutional framework in order to mobilise specific resources, adopt a differentiated competitive positioning and, therefore, an innovative BM. Nevertheless, our analysis does not allow us to conclude that these innovative BMs manage to modify the archetypal one in depth.