Digitalisation. You've probably already heard this term in the course of an exciting (or boring) conversation, but what do we really mean by this recurring term? And what impact does it have on the wine industry?
Digitalisation refers to a new way of consuming wine, linked to changing consumer habits, with a sprinkling of innovative digital solutions. It also refers to all the changes taking place in a profession through the well-known tools and technologies of the 21st century, such as connected objects and decision-support software (DSS).
All these transformations are turning many markets upside down, and the wine industry is far from being left behind - quite the contrary.
The wine industry is currently experiencing a boom in applications (Vivino, WineAdvisor, Twil, Wine-Searcher, etc.), which aim to facilitate access to the wine world through a strong community aspect.
The latter simply reflect a trend that has been growing steadily for several years now: modern wine-drinking habits are changing fast, forcing many winegrowers to adapt
to meet changing and growing demand.
Online sales from producers and specialist websites are exploding, a trend that allows winegrowers to be more independent in their distribution chain, but has the disadvantage of not giving a chance to reluctant customers who don't yet have a digital presence.
digital presence.
According to a 2019 SoWine study, 36% of major wine buyers have already bought wine recommended on social networks. This striking statistic shows the extent to which consumers today rely on new references in their purchasing process. Wine producers need to have a real digital presence in order to make themselves visible and win over new customers, whether through an online shop or through their brand communication. The dilemma, however, lies in finding the right balance between dusting off an ageing wine image and preserving the foundations of age-old expertise.
Digitalisation is also enabling great strides to be made in vineyard and winery maintenance, thanks to connected solutions that provide a wealth of essential information on the state of the vines and the preventive measures that need to be taken upstream to avoid nasty surprises. Solutions such as Weenat, Sencrop and Movida now enable winegrowers to forecast frost periods and anticipate the right time to maintain the vines (using our tried-and-tested electro-powered pruning shears, perhaps? We'll let you make up your own mind on our dedicated page).
All these possibilities may seem considerable, but they conceal a deeper question: wine and vines have always been mysterious, surprising and random. Thousands of years of cultural heritage and know-how give the wine we taste that sweet note of passion and history that allows us to create strong memories when we share a bottle with family or friends. Beyond the undeniable advantages of digitalisation, it seems fair to ask: how far can innovation go at the heart of this heritage that we hold so dear?
