Rogue Wine: A Nonstarred Wines Story. The Troubled Adoption of the Novel IGT Category in the Italian Wine Industry

In this study, we investigate the interplay between tradition and innovation. In particular, we explore the adoption of a novel and contested category in a tradition-led setting, under the boundary condition of a challenge to traditional practices and prescriptions, and the role of tradition-led organizations in the adoption of that category. We suggest that these issues represent overlooked theoretical phenomena; accordingly, we examine these phenomena and provide novel conceptual explanations. In contrast with previous research, our findings show that social actors’ divergent behaviors can earn them the required credibility to adopt a contested category in a traditional context and that local traditions increase the likelihood of entering into such a category rather than hindering it. Our research setting is the Italian wine industry between 1999 and 2009.