Risk management in wine supply chain: A state-of-the-art analysis

Although the wine market is experiencing significant growth, the Wine Supply Chain (WSC) remains remarkably fragile and susceptible to risky events that can impact vine health and wine quality. These factors, in turn, affect the performance of the entire chain. The distribution of vineyards is highly diverse, and in some cases, situated in extremely fragile territories. The evolution of climate change further exacerbates these vulnerabilities, exposing farms to several risks that, if not properly managed, can threaten production. To navigate the highly dynamic environment characterizing the Wine Supply Chain, there is an increasing need for proactive strategies through the introduction of tools that assist managers in avoiding and/or mitigating potential risks within the value chain. These strategies aim to preserve product quality and integrity, enhancing the resilience of the entire WSC. Despite the higher relevance of risk management in wine than in other agricultural industries and related supply chains, as the raw-material transformation constitutes high-level value-added processes, the scientific literature seems to lack an overall analysis related to the risk strategies and methods developed over the last years in the field of WSC. Therefore, the primary objective of this research is to provide a comprehensive analysis of the current state of Risk Management in the Wine Supply Chain. The study aims to: (i) identify the main processes and associated risks, (ii) establish the primary methods and tools developed by researchers to date, and (iii) highlight the key gaps that need to be addressed. The findings indicate a growing focus on agricultural risk events and reveal a lack of comprehensive methods that encompass the entire Wine Supply Chain - from farmers to end consumers - despite technological advancements in agriculture, logistics, and production. This gap underscores the need for integrated risk management approaches to prevent the degradation of business performance.