Challenges in the development of the wine industry: an exploratory study

The objective of this paper is to investigate and identify the structure of winemakers in Eastern Croatia and the problems and obstacles they face in their business. Survey was the method used to collect the data, and survey questionnaire was used as the instrument. The survey was performed on a sample of n=30 winemakers from five Eastern Croatian counties (Osijek-Baranja, Vukovar-Srijem. Virovitica-Podravina. Pozega-Slavonija and Brod-Posavina Counties). Survey results pinpoint institutional factors, expensive production inputs, and insufficient oenological support and expertise as the obstacles winemakers face in further development of this industry. Survey results can be used as a framework for future research of this type and as the basis for the development of future measures and policies concerning wine production.