Wine drinkers across the globe can now tour the vineyards of their latest bottle without leaving the table, thanks to an Australian app, using artificial intelligence and augmented reality.
The marriage between the ancient art of wine making and the latest in emerging tech is the creation of Dave Chaffey, who says the Winerytale app uses artificial intelligence to scan and recognise labels, then augmented reality to provide drinkers with a host of immersive experiences – including winery tour videos, wine tasting notes, food pairing suggestions or nearby stockists.
More than 500 wineries across the world have already signed up to the trial.
“I don’t believe anything like this has been done to this level before – bringing together artificial intelligence, augmented reality, clever technology, 500 different wineries with different visuals and branding, as well as different languages,” Mr Chaffey says.
“This platform is purpose-built for mass adoption and accessibility to any winery wanting to take advantage of a brand marketing and sales future that will undeniably involve augmented reality.”
Winerytale says the beta version of the app has attracted interest from small to mid-level wineries from Australia and New Zealand, as well as from wine regions in South Africa, France, North America, Canada, Croatia, Lebanon and Mexico – all eager to reach a broader market, boosting brand recognition and sales.
“Current world consumers – millennial or not – live their lives through their phones and being able to give them the information they need, in a way they want, influencing the choices they make and harnessing that purchasing power is a no brainer,” Mr Chaffey says.
“When you switch the Winerytale app on, it becomes instantly activated on every bottle. And having every bottle activated is like having thousands of marketing machines all going to work for these wineries.
“The app allows them to tell their story, and through the App’s connection to social media, gives insta-obsessed customers their own virtual connection to the brands they love to love.”