Abstract
Considering the Italian wine market, we investigate the relationship between product quality, on the one hand, and profits and profitability, on the other hand. Using data from 1052 wineries over the period 2006–2015, we find robust evidence of a positive relationship between product quality, measured by the wineries’ reputation for quality, and profits, measured by the Earnings Before Interest, Depreciation and Amortization. By contrast, we observe no relationship between reputation and profitability, measured by the Return on Invested Capital.