Tech Innovations Transforming the Wine Industry

Smart inventions are transforming the world of wine for the better, from ultra-fast cooling to vineyard optimization.

Fremont, CA: Over the next decade, the high rate of technological innovation will almost certainly have a profound impact on the wine industry. In some cases, technology will offer solutions to difficulties faced by grape farmers and winemakers; in others, it will transform how we package, buy, and consume wine.

Innovations that are transforming the wine industry:

Handling vineyard threats

Problems in the vineyard have always been a source of concern for winemakers, with the devastating phylloxera blight in the nineteenth century being one example. With climate change becoming a greater risk, winemakers must now consider a slew of other issues, and technology is stepping in to help manage these threats. A vineyard in Oregon, for example, has constructed a 'UV robot' to combat the potentially lethal powdery mildew plague.

Understanding the aging process

Aging is a crucial part in the production of good wine, and countless research studies are being conducted all around the world and out of it, to assist winemakers in better understanding the process. A dozen cylinders of Bordeaux's Petrus and 320 vine canes were just returned from space, where it was discovered that a trip into orbit had energized the vines, allowing them to grow quicker. Meanwhile, the wine was noted to taste more developed. Back on Earth, several wineries are experimenting with underwater age, with some winemakers claiming that seven months of underwater aging may simulate up to seven years of cellar maturing.

Immersive processing

Augmented reality is gaining acceptance in many sectors of the packaging industry, including wine. A label is no longer just a label — some innovators want the outside of a bottle to serve as a portal to a whole experience. Sparflex, for example, has created a wine foil that, when scanned by its corresponding app, comes to life with animations and text, conveying the story of the wine and acting as a sales portal to the producer's website.