Counterfeiting in Italian high-end wine business: outcomes from a survey based research

Abstract Purpose: To highlight current perception level of counterfeiting phenomenon in the high-end wine industry and point out current knowledge of anti-counterfeiting methods/ methodologies/ technologies among producers. Design/ Methodology/ Approach: the research work analyses the outcomes of an on-going survey submitted to more than 200 Italian companies operating globally in high-end wine business. Findings: at the current stage of the research just a few companies completed the survey, thus a synthetic overview of the results could be easily reverted. Research Limitations/ Implications: The findings of such a research work are limited to what available to the authors in terms of companies and business dynamics knowledge. Moreover the outcomes are directly linked to the methodology used in the survey and to its form. These implies that different sources of information, background or territorial peculiarities as well as another form of investigation could lead to different conclusions. Practical Implications: The research outcomes will help researchers and practitioners to gain a deep understanding of the perception of counterfeiting problem among high-end wine producers versus the real size of the problem. Originality/ Value: The value and originality of this paper resides in its ability to formalize through a scientific methodology the difference between perception and reality of a problem that could have significant consequences from both economical and health stand points.