Silicon Valley and the greater San Francisco Bay area have long had a reputation for being both the center of high tech innovation and a hub of viticultural refinement. Now, these two seemingly disparate worlds are beginning to intertwine. The innovative spirit of Silicon Valley is turning its attention on the age-old traditions surrounding wine, creating big changes in the ways wine is made, marketed, and sold.
WINE SERVICE INNOVATION
Wine preservation and sales are undergoing a transformation thanks in part to Napa Technology, a designer and manufacturer of intelligent dispensing systems based in the heart of Silicon Valley. NapaTechology’s WineStation system uses argon gas in a stationary dispensing unit that allows fine wines to be uncorked and preserved for up to 60 days without spoiling, creating an opportunity for restaurants, hotels and entertainment venues to serve more expensive, finer wines by the glass. Wine preservation systems like the WineStation have created a world in which diners no longer have to settle for mediocre house wines by the glass. The WineStation precisely measures how much wine is dispensensed, minimizing loss and maximizing profits for operators. The unit is also showing up in supermarket aisles, giving shoppers a chance to try before they buy and grocers an opportunity to increase sales.
Apple’s iPad is another facet of technological innovation that has begun to creep into the world of wine service. Several top restaurants in the Bay Area, including Barbacco in San Francisco’s Financial District, have begun to list their wines on iPads placed at every table. Using iPads instead of traditional paper wine lists allows restaurants to save time and money on designing and printing new menus. Flemings Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar has also created a wine list using iPad. The interactive nature of the device allows for extensive tasting notes, pairing suggestions and deeper insights about the wine, ultimately creating a richer experience for diners, and a better sales opportunity for the restaurant.
TRANSFORMATIVE WINE GROWING
Tech titan T. J. Rodgers, who made a fortune at Cypress Semiconductor, has set his sights on transforming the time-honored way in which wine is made. His new fermenters automatically regulate temperature and measure sugar content, a process that is traditionally done by hand in a time-consuming process. His highly efficient fermenters, which wirelessly send data to a central computer, are currently being tested at U. C. Davis. Wines made by his new method can already be purchased from his own Silicon Valley winery, aptly named Clos de la Tech.
TECHNOLOGY INFORMS WINE MARKETING
Technology is also influencing the way wine brands are marketed. Former San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom’s new Odette Estate in Napa County used technological advancements to achieve LEED certification for all structures on the property, a distinction that lends cachet to the Odette brand in tech circles. A few years back, Parducci Winery in Mendocino County captured media attention when it started touting the fact that it was the first winery in the country to become completely carbon-neutral by using technological advancements like wind and solar to power its winemaking operations.
Mobile applications like My Favorite Wine and Drync are having an impact on the ways consumers discover and keep track of their favorite wines. Applications that share reviews, create personal wine journals, and keep track of wine cellar inventory are making a big splash in the otherwise analog world of wine.
Napa Technology has also improved the marketing capabilities for restaurants, retailers and hotels by creating a system for tracking inventory and consumption patterns. The WineStation AccuServe Smartcard can track and manage not just wine inventories and total sales, but can also track what individual guests consume so that operators can market to them based on their preferences.
Tradition and innovation are not usually seen as compatible but when it comes to wine and high tech, the formation of a new symbiotic relationship that is well on its way to transforming both the old and the new.
About Napa Technology
Napa Technology, LLC is a designer and manufacturer of Intelligent Dispensing Solutions for wine that ensures optimum freshness with each pour. The company’s breakthrough product, WineStation®, is designed to drive revenues and maximize the profitability of each bottle. WineStation® has been adopted by hospitality, entertainment and foodservice industries as a new way to serve, preserve and capitalize on the value of available customer preference data.
For additional information on the mobile wine app My Favorite Wine visit www.purplefalcon.com.
Jeffrey Dale Starr is a wine enthusiast, oil painter, and owner of mobile software company Purple Falcon.
