Luxembourg (Thursday, August 1, 2019) — Californian wine brand Böen, part of Copper Cane Wines & Provisions by Joseph Wagner, announces itself as the first United States wine brand to deploy Near-Field Communication (NFC) technology to date. On August 1st, NFC connected bottles will be released across the United States, offering consumers the ability to be taken to the home of the Böen farmhouse with a tap of Böen’s cap.
This new technology, developed by technological visionaries Guala Closures and SharpEnd, gives consumers instant access to information about the wine they are purchasing simply by tapping the bottle’s cap with their smartphone. This is thanks to e-WAK®, Guala Closures’ award-winning, first NFC-integrated aluminium closure for wine.
By inviting users to ‘tap our cap’, consumers will have instant access to unparalleled information about the wine they are purchasing simply by tapping the bottle’s cap with their smartphone and taking them to the vineyards where the wines are made. Without ever downloading an app, a portal is opened that takes you to Böen’s farmhouse where consumers can be educated about where and how their wine was made, offering food pairings, and a central place for fans to share their own experiences with Böen within the platform and via social media.
Joseph Wagner, Founder of Copper Cane Wines & Provisions, says: “At Copper Cane, not only are we innovating with how we grow grapes and make our wines, but also through how we connect with our consumers. By ‘Tapping our Cap’ using the NFC technology created by Guala Closures and implemented by SharpEnd, Böen drinkers will be transported to the very vineyards where our grapes our grown and where the California sunshine and long growing season bring forth the robust and bold flavors we are known for.”
Simon Yudelevitch, General Manager Guala Closures North America, adds: “We are pleased and proud to announce this partnership with Copper Cane Wines & Provisions. Our efforts in developing innovations are paying off and we are particularly happy to achieve this with Böen. It’s been exciting working with Joseph Wagner to bring e-WAK®, Guala Closures’ NFC connected closure to Böen wines and we are excited to be a part of this momentous technological moment for the wine industry. Award winning e-WAK will have the opportunity to demonstrate the enormous potential represented by connected closures.”
Cameron Worth, CEO and founder at SharpEnd, adds: “There is increasing consumer demand for connected packaging across a range of technologies. We know from experience that brands who leverage connected packaging to drive engagement can learn more about what their consumers want and keep up with emerging trends. A rollout of this scale has been a long time coming, and SharpEnd is very proud to support this trailblazing commitment from Böen.”
Böen is a creation of fifth generation winemaker Joseph Wagner, who has put innovation at the heart of the winemaking process. Böen currently has five wines available: Pinot Noir and Chardonnay made from a blend of grapes from Sonoma, Monterey, and Santa Barbara counties (SRP: $24.99 each), as well as appellation-specific editions of Pinot Noir from the Santa Lucia Highlands, Santa Maria Valley, and Russian River Valley (SRP: $34.99 each).
About Copper Cane Wines & Provisions
Founded in 2014, Copper Cane Wines & Provisions has redefined the modern winery with their unique approach to the winemaking process. When grapevine canes begin to lignify, or turn to winter hardy wood, they take on a copper hue. This color shift signals that the green character and harsh tannins have been purged from the vine (and therefore the wine). Only then are the grapes ready for harvest. For Copper Cane’s founder, Joseph Wagner, this patience is essential. While most growers pick their grapes as sugar content hits a certain mark, Wagner waits for physiological maturity to ensure consistency year to year. The result is a wine full of rich, ripe fruit flavors—a style Wagner and his family have always loved. Representative brands include Elouan, Belle Glos, Napa Valley Quilt, and Böen.
For more information on Copper Cane Wines & Provisions visit https://www.coppercane.com/
About Guala Closures Group
Guala Closures Group has more than 4,700 employees and operates in 5 continents through 29 production plants and the marketing of its products in over 100 countries. The Group sells over 15 billion closures each year with a 2018 turnover of 543 million Euros. Thanks to a policy of continuous business development and technological innovation, the Group is recognized as a global point of reference in the production of alcohol safety closures and is a leading manufacturer of aluminium closures for spirits, wines and beverages. From August 2018, Guala Closures S.p.A. is listed on the STAR segment of the Italian Stock Exchange.
For more information visit www.gualaclosures.com
About SharpEnd
SharpEnd is moving brands closer than ever to consumers by connecting packaging, retail and experiential activity. We are a full-service partner to some of the largest global brand owners across fashion, spirits and FMCG/CPG including Estée Lauder Companies, Pernod Ricard, PepsiCo, Mattel and Nestlé.
You can find out more here: https://wearesharpend.com
About e-WAK®
The new smart technology that allows every bottle of wine to become a “connected bottle”: a chip positioned inside the closure can be read by enabled smartphones, providing consumers authenticity certification and extensive product information, engaging them in a direct and loyal relationship with the brand.
More information is available www.gualaclosures.com/ioc/digitus/digitus.html
