The Value of Excellent Transport and Storage Conditions

While many cases of first growth wine sell at auction at attractive prices, “ex-château” cases (those that go directly from the château to the customer and thus have been in stable storage at the château) sell for 15 to 30 percent more. This transaction demonstrates the value of “super-provenance.” (Super-provenance is defined as no temperature readings outside of 10°C - 20°C range and only minimal fluctuation within that range.)

In this day and age, with dramatic increases in fine wine prices, global warming changes to our climate, and more savvy, discriminating consumers, those who opt for protecting and verifying quality will be clear winners. Consumers purchasing “ex-château” cases are already paying to ensure the same quality they taste at the winery. Sellers who monitor temperature conditions, correct flaws, and verify “super-provenance” will differentiate themselves and likely gain market share.

It's ironic so much effort has been devoted to viticulture, phenolic ripeness and immaculate wine making, only to have that quality damaged by an un-monitored distribution system. If perishable foods and pharmaceuticals can make it safely to market, then fine wine can as well.

In his article Making the Grade Richard Hemming explores the area of super-provenance. Unaware of eProvenance when writing the article, he later commented on our technology: “This certainly does look to be a worthy answer to provenance issues.”

Click here to read Making the Grade © Decanter Magazine, May 2009 issue, page 125.

In her article Chilling Out on Wine Delivery, Kathleen Wilcox points out the discrepancies in the treatment of wine versus various sensitive goods.

“Wine, as we all know, is a fragile creature, capable of not just evolving in a delightful way as it ages, but also of devolving and degrading when exposed to light, oxygen, and more to the point here, extreme temperature swings. Many of us demand that our grapes get handled with kid gloves in the vineyard and winery, and yet many of us look the other way as cases of wine get treated like sacks of flour.”

Click here to read the full article on WineSearcher.com issue, page 125.

To learn more, please contact eProvenance.