SHERIDAN, WYOMING – March 16, 2025 - At the intersection of tradition and technology, the ProWein Concept Store is redefining the wine retail experience. As part of the special showcase "Packaging & Design" in Hall 4, this innovative exhibit presents cutting-edge solutions to enhance purchasing efficiency, customer engagement, and youth protection through digital tools, artificial intelligence, and smart systems.
Transforming the Point of Sale with Digital Innovations
Technology plays an increasingly crucial role in modern retail, and the ProWein Concept Store is at the forefront of this evolution. The exhibit demonstrates how AI, interactive presentations, and self-service solutions streamline sales processes while elevating customer experience. Visitors will witness firsthand how smart systems and digital tools are making wine retail more intuitive and future-ready.
Augmenting Customer Experience with AI & Augmented Reality
A standout feature of the Concept Store is the introduction of "Vinovate – Your Personal Sommelier," an AR-powered app developed by twinC GmbH. This application revolutionizes the shopping experience by enabling trade visitors to navigate virtual vineyards, explore grape varieties, and receive AI-driven recommendations from a digital sommelier. Additional features include:
- Food Pairing Scanner: Users can scan dishes to receive curated wine suggestions.
- Personalized Wine Menus: A collection system allowing users to store and access curated wine selections effortlessly.
By integrating AR and AI, "Vinovate" offers an immersive and interactive way to discover wines, making it a valuable asset for both retailers and consumers.
AI-Powered Age Verification: Enhancing Youth Protection
The ProWein Concept Store will also debut the first AI-driven age verification solution tailored for alcohol retailers. Developed by the UK-based Innovative Technology Limited (ITL), the MyCheckr system ensures accurate age authentication at self-checkout stations and alcohol chillers. The technology provides:
- Automated Age Verification: Restricting access to alcoholic beverages until a successful age check is completed.
- Anonymous Consumer Insights: Offering retailers valuable data on shopping behaviors without compromising privacy.
Visitors will experience a live demonstration where a simulated wine chiller remains locked unless the user passes the age verification check.
Smart Refrigeration and Self-Service Wine Tasting
Beyond AI innovations, the Concept Store presents various hands-on solutions aimed at optimizing wine storage, presentation, and tasting experiences:
- Instant Wine Chilling: The V-Tex Technology rapidly cools wine bottles to the ideal serving temperature within minutes, utilizing Rankine-Vortex technology to preserve carbonation and freshness. This solution is space-efficient, energy-saving, and sustainable.
- Self-Service Wine Tasting: The By the Glass system allows shoppers to sample wines independently. Featuring an inert gas preservation method, opened bottles remain fresh for weeks, and an intuitive dispensing system ensures precision and ease of use.
Kerstin Houf, Senior Project Manager at ProWein, highlights the importance of these innovations: "The wide variety of exhibitors at the Concept Store illustrates the innovative possibilities that already exist to address customers and create a sustainable shopping experience. Linking up technology and emotion plays a particularly central role here."
ProWein 2025: Discover the Future of Wines and Spirits
ProWein 2025 continues its legacy of showcasing the world's best wines and spirits. Under the theme "Discover the Taste of Tomorrow," exhibitors from over 60 nations will present their finest selections from March 16 to 18, 2025.
As a trade-exclusive event, ProWein requires visitors to provide credentials upon entry. For further details, visit www.prowein.de.