3 Ways Tech is Changing the Future of Wine

Winetech is a real thing – and it continues to grow rapidly.

As an entrepreneur, I’ve been told by my team & colleagues that I am constantly traveling at one of two speeds: 100 miles an hour or zero. And they're right.

Naturally, I fell in love with wine for the experiences and memories it creates for us. But as wine tech continues to scale its reach into the wine world, I can’t help but be fascinated by anything that moves as fast as I do.

Here are a few of the tech innovations that are disrupting the way winemakers, retailers and consumers experience wine. “Classical” wine enthusiasts: beware!

1. Machine-Harvested Wine

What do hand-picked grapes mean to you?

Do they imply artisan craftmanship or are they simply a way to justify higher price tags?

The latest alternative continuing to innovate vineyards is automated machine-harvested grapes. They’ve been around for a while – and the industry has often associated machine-harvested grapes with “lower” quality, cheaper and more commercial wineries.

But as automation continues to improve, mechanical harvesting no longer means a quality trade-off. Thanks to recent advancements, these machines are able to achieve a soft-touch-pick and incredible precision, without damaging or transforming the grape at all. Some machines can harvest faster and softer, with less error, than a human harvester.

If wine speaks to your romantic side, AI-powered harvesting machines may sound sacrilegious. But ultimately, as long as you enjoy the wine for the price you’re paying, it doesn’t matter how those grapes were harvested.

2. Cooling Gadgets

Your wine’s temperature just got a lot cooler.

Retire the ice bath that always manages to make your bottles sweat. Today, there are a number of game-changing gadgets for keeping your wine cold. Beach days, patio days, or just extremely long and drawn out conversations with friends: new cooling tech is phenomenally efficient.

One product, the Hyperchiller Rapid Chiller, allows you to chill 12.5-25 oz of liquid in just 60 seconds.

And if you’re looking for an ice substitute, you have to try Teroforma’s Wine Twirl. These high-tech thermal gels can keep your glass of wine just as cold as an ice cube but without any dilution: no more watered-down drinks. Yes, winetech is even innovating ice.

3. Decanting at Home

If you’re tired of waiting for your wine to decant, you’re not alone.

Decanting is an aeration process that results in enhancing aromas and enriching the bouquets of your wine. It’s not vital to a glass – but if you are searching for a tasting experience beyond what the bottle can offer you (I always am), then you’ll be interested in decanting whenever you can.

Thanks to technological developments, there’s a new generation of decanters rising on the market – and they are cutting the aeration process down exponentially.

The iSommelier, for example, infuses concentrated oxygen into your wine. It’s supposed to accelerate the process from one hour down to one minute.

The vSpin also claims to speed up the process by creating a gentle vortex to increase the surface area of the wine exposed to air. Impressive.

Bottom line? Technology is decanting in minutes what we used to achieve in hours. Better wine, better experiences, in less time.

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From wine cellar management apps to drones, the world of wine is changing fast. Part curious, part concerned, part excited: when a stagnant industry sees a spike of innovation, the world traditionally benefits in a real way.

Ultimately, from my perspective, wine is about creating connections, moments and experiences that can “stick” in time, forever in our minds. If wine tech can help create more curated, personalized and sophisticated wine experiences, I am very much here for it.