W I N E G R A B S NZ WINE INDUSTRY SUPPLY CHAIN: Wineworks, Sacred Hill, UXC Eclipse and Flow Software have just gone live with a new automated process that allows efficient management of wine to bottling, warehousing and distribution of Sacred Hill wine via Wineworks. Sacred Hill production manager Cameron Sutton says the four entities identified that if they could send sales orders via EDI to WineWorks, this would reduce administration processing costs, negate duplicate rekeying of orders, remove error input rates, eliminate stock from being allocated if not available, and allow for more orders to be sent to Wineworks. Mike Brasch, group systems manager at WineWorks, understands automation means more efficient handling of orders and satisfying customers to maintain long-term relationships. “We are happy that we can process Sacred Hill orders more efficiently and that Sacred Hill can now log into our online portal and view the current order status for each of their orders within minutes of sending us the data.” WineWorks will be onboarding other New Zealand wine producers to steamline any duplicated data entry in the production to shelf process. 42 JUNE 2016 CUSTOMISED WINE ANYONE? Fancy serving your own custom bottle of wine at your next candle-lit supper? If the idea of producing to your guests a bottle of wine named after your dog/wife/boat/children appeals, it’s time to head to Victoria in Australia for your chance. In the current ‘sharing economy’ bandwagon, Australians are renting vines from a handful of wineries that allow wine enthusiasts to take part in the growing process and then have their grapes turned into signature bottles of wine. Shiraz Republic, based in Toollee, runs its business like ride-sharing company Uber…a temporary rent that allows someone to experience something that is normally out of reach. Owner Spencer Page says most customers are happy to leave the everyday work to the wineries, but some are more hands-on, even bringing their own fertiliser to help grow their grapes. “During harvest, it feels like a big family holiday, because everyone is working together and talking and learning,” Page says. “It’s a really social thing we do over three or four weeks.” BOTTLE TOPS: A swingtop closure developed by a tiny Napa Valley vintner that gives his profits to charity uses techniques more common in premium craft beer and soft drinks. Judd Wallenbrock, who owns Humanitas Wines, thought up the closure 17 years ago as a solution to cork taint and lack-lustre screw cap designs, but didn’t get serious about the idea until a few years ago whilst searching for swing-top bottles for his new brand, part of the Good Life Wine Collective. Inspiration came when he was eating at a deli near his work and saw imported sodas on the shelf in swing-top bottles. Swing-tops close the bottle with a gasket-ringed stopper of ceramic or other material, held down by a clamping heavy wire basket pivoting from two bottleneck holes. “I’m a tiny winery that hand-bottles and gives profits to charity, and I would like to have a unique closure to be known for,” Wallenbrock says.
1-48 FT June16
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