The French wine industry has experienced a number of economic, social and political challenges over the last 20 years relating to a decline in worldwide production and consumption, fiercer competition from New World wine producers and increasing regulation. The implications of these challenges are of particular significance to the French wine industry given the importance of wine making to the agricultural economy of France. Given this context, this paper presents an exploratory discussion of how entrepreneurial marketing helps small firms craft growth niches in mature industries. We highlight the importance of entrepreneurial marketing for brand development and opportunity creation for innovation through firms engaging in inter-oganizational networks. Despite marketing being cited as an important factor for success amongst wine industry managers, the literature reveals few academic studies dealing with wine marketing. We present a case study of a small family owned winery of the Côtes du Rhône, France, to illustrate our discussion.
