Market and Power: Rethinking the Law of Supply and Demand in Mendoza’s Viticulture (1970–2024)

Abstract

This article proposes a critical reading of the viticultural market in Mendoza, questioning the law of supply and demand as a neutral price-setting mechanism. It argues that this law operates as an ideological construct that legitimizes structural inequalities in income distribution across the value chain. Based on this analysis, the study identifies the mechanisms through which agents with greater economic power actively influence price formation and competitive conditions between 1970 and 2024—a process intensified by the withdrawal of the State as a mediator under a rentier-financial accumulation regime. Methodologically, this work combines the analysis of official statistical series, the historical reconstruction of prices by sub-market, and semi-structured interviews with specialized actors.