An Exploratory Study of the Factors Enhancing and Inhibiting Export Growth in the Chilean Wine Industry

This exploratory study investigates the main drivers that enhance and inhibit the export performance of Chilean wineries. The findings of this study suggest that the main constraints within the Chilean wineries in developing exports is the lack of financial resources, limited quantities of stocks for market expansion, management's lack of knowledge and experience, and the high cost of traveling and participating in trade shows. The main drivers of wine export performance according to the respondents are high quality of the wines, well-established network of international distributors, and marketing skills. The major inhibitors of developing wine exports are exchange rate variability, problems in selecting a reliable international distributor, and limited government support to promote wine exports. This study also shows that export managers of Chilean wineries have high educational levels and have international experience. The findings have important implications for export development efforts of both governments and managers.