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eProvenance launches IBM blockchain-powered platform to optimise wine supply chain

Published:  14 December, 2020

eProvenance, a company specialising in monitoring and analysing wine shipment conditions, has launched an IMB blockchain-powered platform designed to provide a “smarter and highly secured” way to track wines as they move through distribution from vineyard to consumer.

Powered by IBM Blockchain Transparent Supply, which is designed to use advanced technologies including blockchain, AI and cloud, the VinAssure platform connects participants across the wine supply chain through a permissioned, permanent and shared record of data.

Supply chain members and consumers can learn, for example, about a wine’s provenance, flavour profiles, organic or biodynamic certification.

Spanning wine producers, négociants, importers, transporters, distributors, restaurants and retailers, the platform would help increase "traceability, efficiency and profitability" in the wine supply chain, said eProvenance

“VinAssure is designed to bring collaboration and clarity to an often-chaotic supply chain. The sensitivity of the product, the number of actors, the complex logistics challenges and a convoluted patchwork of regulations across the US and from country to country, are all factors that play into the need for a wine industry ecosystem,” said CEO Robin Grumman-Vogt.

“No one wants to open a bottle of wine and discover it’s been cooked. When the supply chain fails to maintain proper temperature conditions, that’s precisely what can happen."

Raj Rao, general manager IBM Blockchain Platforms, added: "Blockchain is the ideal solution for bringing transparency to a supply chain as complicated as that of the wine industry, which involves numerous participants and where needs vary depending on the destination of the shipment.

“Having an immutable digital record of transactions and conditions simplifies process and represents the future of moving sensitive goods. It also provides the end consumer with greater information that the wine they purchased tastes as the winemaker intended and reflects the immense care that went into producing that wine.” 

The first member to join VinAssure is De Maison Selections – a US importer of responsibly-sourced wines, cider and spirits from independent producers in Spain and France.

André Tamers, owner of De Maison Selections, said: “We believe the future of the wine industry lies in verifiable provenance, transparency and traceability. VinAssure makes it possible for our distribution partners and end consumers to see, understand and appreciate what went into crafting the wines they buy and what it takes for us to maintain the wine’s quality from the vineyard to the glass.”

Both Ste Michelle Wine Estates [export division] and Bordeaux-based négociant and winemaker Maison Sichel are currently in the process of joining.





 

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