Emiliano Villanueva continues to be a global authority on the business of wine. The business administration professor and department chair was recently appointed as an assistant editor of the Wine Business Journal (WBJ) and invited to Argentina to present timely research concerning wineries in the region.

Why wine? According to Villanueva, “wine has intrinsic quality elements, but at the same time, it happens to be a social beverage,” he said, explaining that “it’s tough to dissociate wine from particular situations, meetings or celebrations.”

Villanueva will work with WBJ Editor-in-Chief Angelo A. Camillo and other editors to review submissions and oversee the peer review process. Researchers send their studies to the editors, who will then decide on publication, followed by a meticulous peer-review process designed to ensure academic rigor, accuracy, and quality.

“My job is to facilitate the publication of an article and to ensure a certain quality,” Villanueva said.

The journal has a research focus on wine business in the United States and helps solve empirical, real-world problems in the wine industry, such as adaptations to climate change, sustainability, hospitality, and finance, according to Villanueva.

Recent research topics from the journal include the relationship between vineyard acreage and wine prices, phonetic pronunciation and wine choice, and a case study on how a small winery turned crisis into a social media crowdfunding success.

‘Beyond Malbec’

Villanueva was invited to Buenos Aires and Mendoza, Argentina, to share insights with stakeholders from his recently published study, “Beyond Malbec: Exploring Wineries’ Perspectives on Diversification Strategies in Argentina’s Wine Industry.” Villanueva led discussions at each location.

Villanueva’s first stop was the Universidad del CEMA in Buenos Aires, Argentina’s capital and economic hub, where he presented his research on diversification of the Argentinian wine industry to faculty, industry leaders, and students.

The research, co-authored with Nicolás Depetris Chauvin, Antoine Pinède, and Christophe Maitre, analyzes how Argentinian wineries are adapting to changing consumer tastes and market saturation. Argentina has long been a global leader of premium wine production and exports, especially Mendoza’s Malbec, and changes in market trends actively threaten the wine industry in the country.

The dilemma is clear: diversify or suffer. “They need to rethink their business model,” said Villanueva.

The economic analysis, published by the French journal Wine Economics and Policy (WEP), included data from a nationwide survey of more than 200 Argentinian wineries, 40 exporters, and interviews with industry leaders to discover successful strategies for diversification in a rapidly changing business environment.

Villanueva then traveled to Mendoza, the epicenter of Argentina’s wine industry and signature Malbec wine. Invited by Wines of Argentina, an organization trusted with branding and marketing of the nation’s wine, Villanueva had the opportunity to visit wineries, interact with stakeholders, and provide critical insights to those who can directly benefit.

“It was a very important conversation to have with real practitioners of wine in Argentina,” he said.

He continued: “The industry is going through a transformation process. They need to rethink and eventually pay attention to strategies for diversification; do they stick with Malbec? Do they explore other types of wine?”

Continuing wine business research

With hopes that his work will have a real impact on the Argentinian and global wine industry, Villanueva has also been heavily involved in a years-long research project titled “A Firm-Level Study of the Global Wine Industry.” Funding from the project has allowed him to publish four research articles in the past year, with a fifth currently under peer review.

“Research is a fundamental part of our profession [in academia],” said Villanueva. “To be a high-quality public higher education institution, research is a major component. It’s a way to differentiate ourselves from other institutions. There is a very strong culture of research at Eastern.”