Internationalization of the Yarra Valley Wine Industry Cluster

Within the Yarra Valley there are more than 80wineries of different sizes and at different stagesof internationalization. This research used groundedtheory to identify ways in which wineries haveapproached their internationalization process. Thereis a significant emphasis placed on personalrelationships and networks between wineries whenentering foreign markets because they provide accessto market knowledge. On the other hand cooperationamong cluster firms plays very limited role inassisting wineries in foreign market expansion it hasonly been of benefit when it came to dealing withlocal issues. The cluster has played only a minorrole if any when it came to internationalization ofthe cluster firms. There was a distinctive lack ofactive support and organization from the cluster withregard to the international expansion due to the lackof leadership and joint direction among cluster members.