Words to the wise

Fun fact: the Oxford Word of the Year 2018 was “toxic”. Why toxic, you ask? Every year, the eminent Oxford University institution chooses a word or expression that is judged to “reflect the ethos, mood or preoccupations of the passing year” and have “lasting potential as a term of cultural significance”.

Diageo targets new Scotch fans with voice-activated tech

The traditional world of Scotch whisky and Amazon’s voice-activated Alexa system are due to collide this Christmas.

Reaching the last mile

Fulfilling those “last mile” orders is expensive – especially for small businesses, but there are innovations that could help businesses better reach their local customer base.

A smarter way to sell

Jo Gilbert connects with the businesses aiming to bring the convenience, value and focus of online shopping to bricks-and-mortar stores

Molson Coors chases the buzz with joint marijuana venture

Molson Coors is the latest mega-brewer to announce plans to make hybrid beverages with one of Canada’s leading cannabis producers, further signalling the march of smoke products into the alcoholic sector.

Computer vision: an eye on the future

Computer vision has been used for years for facial recognition software and this this type of technology will become instrumental in decoding drinking trends, says Jo Gilbert.  

LWF: Why Wine-Searcher has gone mobile first, and why you should too

Optimise your site for both mobile and desktop browsing or risk getting nudged out by the competition was the advice at a seminar on selling wine online this morning.

Power to the Punter

Technology is fast empowering the consumer when it comes to engagement, purchasing decisions, driving innovation and shaping the market, with accessible gadgets, widgets, apps and other advances changing the way wine is shipped, sold, delivered and even drunk. 

Talking about the future: The Alexa effect

With intelligent personal assistants helping consumer engagement to become increasingly human and conversational, Jo Gilbert asks what’s in store for wines and spirits

Tech start-up bids to demystify ‘baffling’ supermarket wine aisles

A tech start-up is looking to re-engage affluent 20-somethings with wine by expanding its app’s reach into the supermarket wine aisles.

Buying wine in the home of the future

Are you being served by AI?

Jo Gilbert tracks how artificial intelligence is emerging from the shadows, along with augmented reality, to become the ultimate interactive collaborator

Smarter moves: Spotlight on Vivino

Jo Gilbert caught up with Heini Zachariassen, founder of the world’s most downloaded wine app Vivino, on how it has made the leap from information-sharing platform to marketplace

Bricks versus clicks

The same dopamine hit experienced alongside multiple likes on Facebook is shaping shopping habits online as well as in bricks-and-mortar retail stores. Jo Gilbert reports

Learning from China

Jo Gilbert looks at the opportunity for wine among the world’s biggest online consumer group and its growing appetite for western provenance

Climate change: The greatest threat to humanity

Extreme weather has wreaked havoc on the winemaking world this year. Jo Gilbert traces these events back to the effects of climate change and the global impact of an increasingly CO2-laden planet

CIVB goes social with new winter ad campaign

Vins de Bordeaux is releasing a new ad campaign focused on digital formats and social media with the hope of engagining "younger" audiences. 

The battle against frost

Frost is one of the greatest threats to wine producers. Jo Gilbert looks at the technology being developed to keep this unwanted vine visitor at bay 

The rise of the virtual sommelier

Last month we talked about virtual reality. This month we look at augmented reality and artificial intelligence and how the big tech companies are poised to bring the sommelier into the home. Jo Gilbert reports

Wanderlust e-merchant sets out to help wine-lovers “explore”

New online wine merchant, Wanderlust, is being launched with the aim of bringing as yet undiscovered artisanal wines from around the world to the UK.