Sensing and Monitoring Tools for Improving Traceability in the Wine Value Chain in Portugal
Growing concerns over guaranteeing wine authenticity (particularly mislabelling of origin, quality, and grape variety) and improving process efficiency have become essential. Wine producers need assurance that the grapes they buy match the agreed-upon quality and variety to produce wines with consistent characteristics. Moreover, certification entities need additional information and tools to identify and deter unlawful activities and make inspection actions more efficient.
To address these issues, acquiring complete and comprehensive information is critical. The wine pilot deployed solutions to ensure the authenticity and traceability of grapes from vineyard to cellar, maintaining the integrity of the entire supply chain. A weather station monitored environmental conditions, helping to predict potential quality-volume mismatches based on adverse weather. Automated bucket and scissors systems measured the weight of grapes at each georeferenced position, identifying discrepancies in expected volumes. This data, along with the weather information, was crucial for the Early Warning System to assess and predict potential issues, and for efficient consultation of information through the Digital Food Passport. All these technologies were successfully deployed and used during the 2025 harvest, proving their usability and value to farmers and producers.
WATSON
Completed | 2023-2026
- Main funding source
- Horizon Europe (EU Research and Innovation Programme)
- Geographical location
- Ireland, France, Italy, Greece, Finland, Denmark, Other, Portugal, Germany, Luxembourg, Spain, Cyprus, Belgium, Slovenia, Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria