The size distribution of California's north coast wineries: 1984‐2009

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to examine the structure of California's north coast wine industry from 1984 to 2009, to determine if there are significant changes in the size distribution of wineries. Design/methodology/approach – Chi‐squared tests in conjunction with the Hoelter index are used to determine whether the changes in the market share for various size classes are significant. Findings – The authors find a statistically significant trend in terms of smaller wineries becoming an increasing percentage of the total number of wineries and of market share. Originality/value – Unlike most other industries, small wineries are able to meet the changing market and technological conditions of the industry. These results augur well for the growing area of wine tourism which is highly dependent on boutique wineries. The results are also encouraging to new start up wineries considering entering the industry.