New England Australia: What follows from regional status? A comparative, political economy approach

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to contrast the marketing strategies of the New England Australia wine-producing region with those of the Languedoc-Roussillon region in France. While the two regions occupy similar market positions, they nonetheless reveal diametrically opposed marketing strategies. Against the background of this comparative discussion, the paper proposes methods to enhance the development of the New England Australia wine region so that it becomes a more complete example of successful rural restructuring. Design/methodology/approach – This paper uses a comparative, political economy approach to explore the marketing strategies of the New England Australia wine-producing region, and the Languedoc-Roussillon region in France. In particular, following the work of Garcea-Parpet, the paper seeks to demonstrate that markets are most usefully viewed as social and political/legal constructs, as well as economic exchanges, and that focussing on the former elements is a fruitful way to proceed, both in terms of analysis and policy prescription for the industry. Findings – Comparison with the Languedoc-Roussillon region in France generates future potential opportunities for New England Australia. A number of issues are discussed with respect to the organisation of the industry and its representation, particularly focusing on leadership and the extent to which leadership was both a catalyst for change and a driver of continued success in the case of Languedoc-Roussillon. Originality/value – This paper represents the first exploration of the impact of regional status for the New England Australia wine region and the first comparative analysis of the region with Languedoc-Roussillon.