Australian winery Seppeltsfield in the Barossa Valley has just unveiled the country’s first microchipped bottles. The company’s executive chairman, Warren Randall, explained the decision to push the boundaries of packaging development; “Whilst we are expanding our luxury wine collection globally, it is very important we are at the forefront of innovation, so we are taking a proactive approach and investing in technology to ensure wine authenticity.”
Using technology called NFC Vintail, Seppeltsfield has released microchipped bottles for wines like the 2017 The Westing and The Northing Barossa Shiraz which are part of its ‘Grounds’ range. By simply scanning the bottle with their smartphone,wine drinkers will be able to enjoy “a 360-degree experience” tour of the Seppeltsfield Barossa Village and surrounding vineyards as well asinformation on provenance.
The advanced technology can also tell if the product has been tampered with and reassure consumers on the authenticity of the wine. This last point is expected to prove especially relevant to the Chinese market given the recent issues experienced by Penfolds and other major Australian producers.
