Vinification requires strict monitoring and control of a series of parameters from the reception of the raw material to the bottling of the final product. To produce quality wine, it is critically important to monitor certain parameters: density, turbidity, colour, level, temperature and alcohol content. Such monitoring and quality control is part of the science and artistry of producing an exceptional balanced product. However, such monitoring is time and resource intensive, requiring expensive investments in advanced equipment and high skilled personnel. Indeed, in a worldwide market worth €261 billion, winemakers are spending yearly €667 million in Europe alone for vinification technologies. As the shift towards efficient, automated and precision winemaking become increasingly important, the European and global Wine industry is pressing for the need to improve the monitoring of various stages of wine production. The winemakers will, therefore, be willing to adopt newer technologies and this project fills this highly desired need in Europe by revolutionising the vinification process.
Watgrid developed a state of the art real time and remote monitoring platform that will allow winemakers to have an eye inside the wine vat. Winegrid is a smart solution based on a network of innovative sensor units placed in a container (barrel, tank, press) during the vinification process of wine. It is capable of providing, for the first time ever, real-time analysis and control the critical vinification parameters, sending information directly to a specially built online platform. It is the internet of things (IoT) for wine production.
The objectives of the feasibility study were to evaluate the technical, validation and regulatory requirements for the introduction of the Winegrid systems into the European market, identify and finalize an optimized value chain, and design the validation activities including securing sites for in-field user trials, with the ultimate objective to commercialise Winegrid and become the industry leader in Vinification monitoring.
