«Knowledge is power», Francis Bacon already said back in the 16th century. But what does this popular phrase mean in concrete terms for the wine industry? How can relevant knowledge be shared with the right people? And how can added value be created from numbers?
The wine industry is very fragmented. A lot of information is lost on the way from the winery to the consumer's table where the bottle is ceremoniously uncorked.
Some examples
The grape varieties and the vintage are usually known, as well as information about the weather and climate in the corresponding year. However, this says nothing about the quality of the wine. It is also more difficult to find out the optimal drinking window for the wine, or finding out whether a wine is genuine. That is why counterfeiting is a huge problem in the wine industry, which has, therefore, a lot to do with knowledge.
Data not only «belong» to a wine bottle, it can also guarantee its value and become a selling point. But they can also convey valuable information to professional colleagues in the industry. Here are a few examples.
Suppose a winegrower is considering planting different grape varieties because of climate change. He would like to obtain data to help him make the change. How does he get them?
Or let's take a wine merchant who has identified a certain trend among his customers over the last few years. For him, the information about which lesser-known wine-growing region might also be well received by his customers would be of some value.
This is exactly where VERIWINE comes in. With a solution that promotes the exchange and the sharing of knowledge. Whether this happens free of charge or is monetised is up to the knowledge provider.
This is how knowledge gets on the bottle
At the heart of our solution is a code on each wine bottle. This guarantees the authenticity of the contents. A wine lover can scan the code and simply check whether the bottle is genuine. Until now, such a check was time consuming and expensive.
With additional sensors, factors such as humidity, temperature, and light can be measured along the supply chain. This also vouches for quality.
Wine lovers are not only passive recipients of information. They can also share their knowledge and, for example, inform them that a certain wine has reached its drinking age. This in turn gives the winemaker conclusions and the opportunity to enter into a dialogue with his end customers. Until now, this was also very difficult or even impossible.
Last but not least, even external professionals (nowadays one would probably rather speak of «influencers») can be involved. For example, a top chef can suggest recipes that go well with a certain wine. Or a wine expert can reach potential customers through his reviews.
Making economic use of agricultural data
Data on cultivation-relevant criteria are already being monetised today. Weather forecasts in the growing regions lead to sometimes high bets on a vintage. Until now, winegrowers were at the mercy of this exchange. VERIWINE now enables them to share and even monetise their knowledge of cultivation methods, grape varieties and wine processing. Considering the industry being of a higher risk nature, this also allows them to diversify their income and secure their future.
Similarly, winemakers who know more precisely who their customers are - thanks to our solution - can share this information with colleagues. This information enables more precise targeting in marketing, and thus higher efficiency.
What could be the next step?
Digitisation has turned many industries upside down. In just a few years, physical recordings disappeared almost completely from the market. Today, most music is streamed. The media's sovereignty of interpretation, once a fortress, has been massively undermined by platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Co.
Admittedly, there are no monopolists in the wine industry who have to fear losing huge market shares. But here, too, digitalisation offers great potential to increase value for all parties.
This is exactly what VERIWINE wants to support the entire industry with. We are certain that a simple, smart network in which knowledge is shared offers unprecedented value to all involved parties - and thus power as well.
What would you like to know?
We would be happy to explain VERIWINE to you personally in a non-binding call. This way we can answer all your questions and explain the advantages that apply to you. And of course, we always enjoy listening to winemakers and merchants when they talk about their challenges. In this way, we can continuously improve our offer. The best way to do this is to contact us directly here.
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