By Laurie Wachter
During harvest, wineries make crucial decisions about when to pick, where to send equipment and workers, and when tank space is needed. Those who want to make an informed decision — or with a bit of curiosity — seek out neighbors to see where their harvests stand or wait for the occasional news report.
But now, wineries can assess real-time benchmark data to help make these decisions.
Harvest Watch by InnoVint is a comprehensive regional dashboard that monitors harvest season progress in real time. It draws on anonymized production data from partner wineries, using InnoVint’s cloud-based management software to streamline workflows and communications for vineyard, cellar, office and sales staff.
Bringing this vision to Harvest Watch lets wineries gauge where they stand relative to regional benchmarks, including varietal, Brix, TA, pH and even weather. The community resource, including weekly email snapshots, is already available for Napa, Sonoma and San Luis Obispo counties, and free for all to use.
“Best thing you’ve done! I look at it every day,” says one winery using Harvest Watch; another adds, “Especially helpful to have a big picture, as I’m still stuck in bottling land.”
CEO and cofounder, Ashley DuBois Leonard, responds, “I’m thrilled with how well the industry has received Harvest Watch! We’ve been waiting for the right opportunity to share regional harvest trends.”
By putting real-time harvest tracking at their fingertips, InnoVint’s Harvest Watch innovation guides wineries, vineyard managers, consultants and regional associations to better harvest-time decisions.
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Laurie Wachter
Laurie Wachter brings her expertise in consumer behavior, food & beverage marketing and direct-to-consumer sales to writing about innovation and challenges in the consumer packaged goods industry. She works with a global client base from her Northern California Wine Country home.
