Wine – What is a winetech ?

It is strange to note that there is not yet a precise definition of Winetech. Yet, thanks to technology, it is now easier to choose your wine, manage your cellar or organize a wine tourism weekend with family or friends. These last years, many startups have taken on the wine market.

Wine : an exploding technological market

In France, wine is an emblem, a product representing the culture and heritage of our country. But, it is also a product that is exported throughout the world thanks to its image of French savoir vivre, of fun and good meals. France is this year the second wine exporting country behind Italy - every year, it's a real feud between these two countries —.

French wine production represents nearly 17 % of world production. Such a sector is promising for the French economy and it hardly knows the crisis : the sector represents 558’000 direct and indirect jobs. Wines and spirits in France are the 1st surplus agro-food sector and the 2nd surplus export sector, after aeronautics and before chemicals / perfumery, which represents exports estimated at 7,9 billion € for wines in 2015.

The arrival of Winetech in the world of wine

With such success through time, digital has seen it as an opportunity to seize in recent years : we have seen wine e-commerce sites flourish, the development of private sales of wine, the launch of tasting boxes or a multitude of tools to help consumers in their search for a beautiful wine. Some offer ultra competitive prices, others rely on advice by providing sommeliers to help consumers find the wine that best matches their meal.

There are now many innovations in winetch aimed at the consumer, but others have chosen to help professionals by helping sellers to optimize sales or winemakers to improve wine production.

These innovative technologies are developed by start-ups and fundraising campaigns amount to several million euros. In a sector like this, French and foreign investors are jostling. It is also an impressive lever for creating a variety of jobs : marketing, web and IT development, oenology or logistics recruit to carry out these projects.

Examples of Winetech startups

Winestar

Winestar is a French start-up that wants to revolutionize the consumption of by offering it… in a can. Like a soda that you can consume directly without having to walk around with a corkscrew and glasses. This innovation does not leave indifferent - in one way or the other —. While a bottle of wine blithely exceeds a kilo, the can is much more convenient to carry, allowing nomadic consumption. The website offers a selection of estates with the most prestigious appellations. The Internet user makes their choice online and receives their cans directly at home. It is also possible to find these cans in points of sale - but we will talk about it soon —.

10 Vins

We have already discussed this in the article " The D-vine finally seems very divine ". This company offers "the wine glass at home". You choose on the site 10-Vins, one or more wines from a wide selection and you will receive at home your precious "pods" of wine equivalent to a glass. These doses are in the form of a test tube and are a good way for budding wine lovers to taste and discover wines that are often inaccessible by their price.. The D-Vine machine allows exact control of the aeration and temperature of the wine to ensure tasting in the best conditions. With this innovative technology, the most prestigious wines are democratized to the delight of consumers.

dear

Cavassima is an investment platform specially dedicated to wine. Wine is often perceived as a profitable investment in the short as well as in the long term. The financial crisis of 2008 prompted investors to speculate on wine, because it was considered at that time as a safe and tangible asset, like gold and real estate. On the company's website, you can choose the bottles of your choice with the advice of wine professionals. The bottles purchased are kept in the cellars of Cavissima and the investor can manage his little war chest from a distance. You can decide to receive your wine at home to taste it as well as resell it to other investors. Cavissima also offers insurance solutions that allow you to optimize your investment.

Vivino

Vivino is an application well known to wine lovers. The principle is simple : just take a picture of a bottle, submit it to the application which will search for all possible information on the selected product. History, value, origin, appellations, labels, association with dishes, and so on. It is an essential tool for those who have difficulty choosing their wine or who wish to know more about a bottle of wine consumed. This is an interesting help, but it should not replace the exchange you may have with a wine merchant or a producer.

Vitirover

Vitirover is a company offering an innovative solution to winegrowers: it offers a mechanical and automatic weed control. While automatic weed control is expensive, time-consuming and requires the use of chemicals, Vitirover makes it possible to weed the vineyard without chemicals and without damaging the soil. It is also a gesture for the environment since this robot operates entirely on solar energy ! A robot that adds to those already presented in the article " The drone attack started in the vineyards ".

Vineabox

Vineabox is a winetech company surfing on the wine box trend that has invaded the market for several years. You just have to register on the site, to subscribe to a monthly subscription and a sommelier selects the wines that are sent directly to you. Each month, you discover a new selection and learn more about what you consume thanks to the technical sheets which are supplied with the products. This site also gives you the opportunity to access private sales to find your favorite bottles at a negotiated price..

Vinoga

Vinoga is a French winetech which was born in 2012 and who bet on a new concept in the world of wine : that of combining the online purchase of products dedicated to wine with a video game. It’s an educational way to taste wine and discover new things about our favorite products. You play as a young winegrower creating his own estate and you will have to manage his exploitation. The site brings together a community of thousands of members spread across the world and is booming, especially in view of the popularity of similar games.

The future of winetech

Of course, I presented you only a few examples allowing you to fly over the world of winetech. If you thought that this concept only meant a digitalization of the wine market, you now understand that these technologies go much further than simply setting up an online sales site. These start-ups concern distance selling as well as private sales., through soil remediation, short and long term investing or entertainment. These practices already existed a few years ago, but they were often unrecognized : it is a new access to French heritage that is open to wine lovers all over the world.

The Internet is a good way to afford a bottle of prestigious wine at a reduced price and these companies give new impetus to oenology and its players. Regular fundraising for the creation of such start-ups show the growing interest of investors and consumers for this new vein. We now have to wait a few years to be able to measure the impact on the economy and on the viticulture sector, as well as the profitability of these young companies. We must not forget the huge scam of the now closed online sales site 1855.com, who had cheated 11’000 clients, for a loss estimated at 40 millions of euros.

Winetech, an asset for winelovers

For wine lovers accustomed to new technologies, it is a real opportunity to enrich your wine knowledge. With just a click, we can now have a drink at home, a can or a bottle of wine, something that one would have thought inconceivable ten years ago. Consumption habits are changing with the Internet, including for a sector as old as wine !

The revolution 2.0 wine is on the way and has a bright future, no offense to those who still don't believe it ! — and I assure you it is not that rare —

Jean-Nicolas Mouretin