Barossa wine estate, Seppeltsfield, is installing new anti-counterfeit technology in a bid to boost authenticity, trigger customer engagement and help curb the counterfeit problem plaguing the luxury wine industry. “Whilst we’re expanding our luxury wine collection globally, it’s very important we’re at the forefront of innovation, so we’re taking a proactive approach and investing in technology to ensure wine authenticity,” said Seppeltsfield Barossa executive chairman, Warren Randall. The technology – dubbed NFC Vintail – has an embedded microchip on the neck of the bottle that can tell the purchaser if the product is authentic, Seppeltsfield said. Developed by Sydney-based brand protection and retail engagement specialist, YPB Group – the microchip aims to fight counterfeit goods in international markets. Powered by YPB’s Connect platform, the individually-coded Vintails are interactive via smartphone ‘tap and go’. Using the latest Apple iPhone and Google Android releases, or with an equivalent NFC reader application, the technology is launched by physically tapping the smartphone to the NFC Vintail. Essentially, the purchaser uses their mobile phone before the purchase to ‘tap and go’ on the bottle, confirming it hasn’t been opened and is authentic product. The technology can be adapted to any product being exported internationally. No caption YPB Group Australian CEO John Houston said Vintail technology was an “Australian first” for the wine industry. “The collaboration between the two companies to further develop Vintail and the Connect platform will have a major impact on consumers who will now be able to confirm wine authenticity. “Vintail can be adapted to any product and will greatly assist in countering the lucrative billion-dollar, luxury global counterfeit industry. YPB Group looks forward to further developing our authenticity and consumer engagement technologies for other international exporters.” According to analysts, the luxury counterfeit product trade is a world-wide multi-billion industry. Recently published figures suggest 20 per cent of all the wine currently circulating the globe is fake. YPB’s NFC Vintail technology applied to Seppeltsfield’s releases can determine if the product has been opened, to identify possible prior tampering, the winery said. It also provides users with an immersive 360-degree experience including detailed wine provenance information, as well as a tour of the Seppeltsfield Barossa Village and surrounding vineyards, it added. Related content feature 4 remedies to avoid cloud app migration headaches The compelling benefits of using proprietary cloud-native services come at a price: vendor lock-in. Here are ways CIOs can effectively plan without getting stuck. By Robert Mitchell Nov 29, 2023 9 mins CIO Managed Service Providers Managed IT Services case study Steps Gerresheimer takes to transform its IT CIO Zafer Nalbant explains what the medical packaging manufacturer does to modernize its IT through AI, automation, and hybrid cloud. By Jens Dose Nov 29, 2023 6 mins CIO SAP ServiceNow feature Per Scholas redefines IT hiring by diversifying the IT talent pipeline What started as a technology reclamation nonprofit has since transformed into a robust, tuition-free training program that seeks to redefine how companies fill tech skills gaps with rising talent. By Sarah K. White Nov 29, 2023 11 mins Diversity and Inclusion Diversity and Inclusion Hiring news Saudi Arabia will host the World Expo 2030 in Riyadh By Andrea Benito Nov 28, 2023 4 mins Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe