Title: The failure of the Californian Mondavi's implantation in France: entrepreneurship and corporatisme

Authors: Olivier Torres

Addresses: University of Montpellier, E.M. LYON, France

Abstract: An explanation for why plans to set up business in the small village of Aniane, in the Languedoc region of France, were a failure for Mondavi, the pioneer of California|s Napa Valley. Initially, everyone came out a winner. The project nevertheless ground to a halt because of an anti-Mondavi revolt. The leader of this revolt was Aime Guibert, a local wine-grower violently opposed to ||industrial wines|| and himself the producer of one of France|s best wines. The interesting point of this conflict is that it reveals a type of entrepreneur that has been underestimated by entrepreneurship theory. Using the rent-seeking trend as its basis, this article highlights the characteristics of the corporatiste entrepreneur, who prefers avoiding threats to seizing opportunities.

Keywords: Mondavi; France; entrepreneurship; corporatisme; wine growing.

DOI: 10.1504/IJESB.2004.005378

International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, 2004 Vol.1 No.1/2, pp.70 - 99

Published online: 29 Sep 2004 *

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