Wine tech

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND CUTTING-EDGE DRONE TECHNOLOGY ARE SHAKING UP THE GLOBAL WINEMAKING INDUSTRY AND IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF WINE FOR CONSUMERS AROUND THE WORLD.

- SAM MCKEITH

The winemaking business is steeped in rich history. Indeed, since antiquity it has relied on highly skilled viticulturalists who spend years, and sometimes lifetimes, gaining a deep knowledge of their vineyards to produce high-quality wine. However, this centuries-old artisanal approach could be about to change thanks to new technologies entering the mainstream. These digital innovations, according to experts, have the potential to revolutionise the way winemakers operate by putting technology and big data at the centre of the craft.

BIG DATA IN VINEYARDS

Premium winemaker Alex Head of Head Wines, based in South Australia’s Barossa Valley, says one of the biggest innovations already underway is the introduction of intelligent sensors that provide winemakers with more information than ever before about the health of their vines. The winemaker points, in particular, to the ability of these “smart sensors” to capture large amounts of data related to water, which he says is especially important in winegrowing regions with moderate climates.

“The latest innovation is monitoring saturation flow in the vines at particular times of their growth cycle. That’s big because if you can prime the vines with water at the right time you can reduce the water required,” Head tells The CEO Magazine.

It’s especially important, according to the Australian producer, because of how much water costs in the wine production process, with a price tag ranging up to A$3,000 a megalitre. “You get an idea of how significant that is when you consider that it usually takes one megalitre of water to produce one hectare of grapes.”

Head, who follows a traditional