By Rachna Jain
Even though the barrel tracking technologies such as QR codes, barcodes and identification labels have been quite popular in the wine sector for a long time, they seem to be under a threat from the radio frequency identification (RFID) technology. Barcodes and QR codes have limitations. For example, a line-of-sight is required to scan these tags. In other words, these tags are required to be visible on a product for scanning capabilities. As RFID does not need a scanner to directly point at a tag, and sometimes can read multiple tags at a time, the demand of this technology is growing rapidly in the wine industry.
RFID is being widely used for the purpose of wine authentication to prevent the sales of counterfeit and fake wines in the market. Many wineries are using this technology to make sure that only authentic wines reach the market to ensure buyers’ trust. They place a unique RFID tag on their product’s packaging which the distributors or consumers can tap to verify the authenticity of the product.
Source: Metalcraft
Also, moving wine barrels or containers to take inventory can upset the sediment and ruin the ageing process. It takes a long time to track, find and check each barrel or container. RFID can be used to record the data of each barrel and it makes locating and tracking them easier. Going through each barrel can be a time-consuming process. By using RFID, a unique ID tag is attached and scanned, and all data is entered into the system’s internal software.
With the aim of bringing efficiency, protection, and integrity for local and global wine markets, eBottli creates useful software packages tailored according to the brands’ needs. Potential losses to the global wine industry due to counterfeits are estimated to reach $4.3 trillion by 2022. But our technology helps to reduce wine counterfeiting, improves wine traceability, and aids in internal traceability, stock management and shipment tracking.
The May 2021 issue of the Australian and New Zealand Grapegrower and Winemaker talks about RFID and how eBottli is s committed to providing solutions to the Australian wine sector. With multiple tracking and geolocating technologies, eBottlis’s RFID technology is ready to use, has its own secure app, and is reliable and low-cost compared to others.
A winery can have hundreds or thousands of barrels and moving from barrel to barrel to record contents need too much time and resource. With approximately the size of a small coin, RFID tags are almost indestructible labels that contain data. Each wine barrel is given a serialised label that is attached on the barrel with a food-grade adhesive. The information of each barrel such as vintages, varieties, toast level, number of fills, age etc. can then be acquired through these tags and be viewed on a computer or mobile phone, thus making the process quicker.
RFID tags, barcodes, and QR codes each have their own advantages and disadvantages when it comes to managing your inventory. To find out which data management system is right for your business, you can check out our blog on RFID VS QR code.
References:
https://drams-software.com/articles/rfid-future-distillery-barrel-management/
https://www.business.org/finance/inventory-management/rfid-vs-barcodes-vs-qr-codes/
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