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A new invention gives buyers of luxury wines information about their storage conditions. The battery-free thermometer "Beaucarnea" records thermal conditions throughout the storage period. This development, accurately named "Temperature Extreme Indicator with Non-Reversible Activation for Wine Bottles", recently won one of 16 gold medals at the Concours Lépine inventors' competition in Paris.
According to the company of the same name, it is "a capsule that is sealed into the puncture of each wine bottle and irreversibly records the temperatures to which the bottle is exposed". The capsule, which functions purely mechanically, was inspired by the watchmaker's craft. If a wine is exposed to extreme temperatures or temperature fluctuations for several hours, this has a negative effect on its ageing ability. The invention is aimed at the niche of very expensive wines and should provide their buyers, especially in the secondary market, with reliable information about the storage and transport conditions even decades from now.
The capsule, which is ultrasonically sealed into the puncture of each bottle, cannot be reused because otherwise the accuracy of the records could not be guaranteed. However, it consists only of bio-based plastic and metal, which can be separated from the bottle glass in the sorting plant, and is recyclable together with the bottle.
The price has not yet been fixed, but is said to be negligible for wines over 100 euros. The invention is in the prototype stage and is now already being marketed before the start of series production. Preliminary contracts have already been signed with two wineries on the Côte de Nuits in Burgundy. Beaucarnea is planning further applications in the medical, chemical and food industries.
(al / source: vitisphere)