eProvenance developed its RFID tracking system after wine companies form the Bordeaux region in France expressed concerns over the difficulty of ensuring that the quality of their wines was preserved during handling, transportation and distribution.
Maintaining temperatures in a reasonable range during shipment and storage plays an important part in preserving the quality of fine wine and spirits.
However, there is often no record of variations of temperatures after the wine has left the wine producer's cellars.
According to eProvenance's, its semi-active RFID tag placed inside each case enables wine producers and distributors to monitor and log ambient temperatures in each case three times a day.
The firm's founder Eric Vogt said this issue needed to be addressed as until now, the authenticity and knowledge of storage temperatures had been, at best, " unverifiable ".
Fine wines face other risks during distribution.
To discourage pilferage, eProvenance's tracking system also includes a passive RFID tag with a unique code.
The tag is attached to the base of each bottle, which can be individually tracked.
" Each consumer can be reassured that the product is authentic.
The system also facilitates inventory management ", explained eProvenance.
The final feature of eProvenance's tracking system, a proprietary, tamper-proof neck seal with a covert code at the base of the capsule, is aimed at preventing counterfeiters by authenticating the bottle's content.
The eProvenance authenticator can then read the invisible code on the eProvenance neck seal.
Key benefits for Wine/Spirits Producer:
Accurate reports on distribution channel storage temperature allow the producer to positively influence the best practices in the distribution channel.
RFID bottle tag provides secure traceability and simplifies inventory management.
Assuring provenance builds brand value and prevents counterfeit.
The direct connection to the consumer allows the producer to build a more intimate relationship and market more effectively.
The three components are coordinated in an encrypted Internet database.
According to eProvenance, " this combined data create an ePedigree for each bottle of fine wine , which consists of authentication data from the château, shipment data and temperature records ".
An automated monitoring system costs €5,000 a month for five months, excluding hardware and tags, the company said.
eProvenance is currently conducting pilot programs with nine Bordeaux Châteaux and two Paris wine retailers.
Although eProvenance has launched its tracking system for Bordeaux wines, the company said that it is suitable for any wine region in the world.
In addition to addressing winegrowers' concerns, eProvenance said that its system will also assure the importer, retailer and consumer that proper storage conditions have been maintained everywhere along the bottle's journey.
The company said it hoped to start a new trend in favour of the preservation of the quality of fine wines by building the " definitive global database " of the world's fine wines and spirits and influence the best practices in the distribution channel.
This should, in turn, increase the value of a bottle of fine wine.