"Winemakers have traditionally taken pride in their artisanal skills, with technology in the sector making up a niche part of the start-up arena. Total venture capital funding in wine tech has been just under $1bn since 2000, according to Dealroom, a data and analysis firm focused on tech start-ups. This compares to annual food and agritech financing, which was $20bn in 2019. But as the effects of climate change, a shrinking labour force and stalling demand take hold, some are opening up to new forms of innovation, from GPS-tracked sniffer dogs to UV light zapping robots."
in FT YESTERDAY
Pointer to UK's farmers and winemakers facing post Brexit labour shortages.
Baron Philippe de Rothschild, which owns the eminent Château Mouton-Rothschild in France, meanwhile, worked with researchers at Naio Technologies to develop Ted, a robot that can weed and spray vineyards. The arch-shaped device, which straddles the vines and travels up and down their rows, is currently used by LVMH’s wine and spirits arm Moët Hennessy. Further down the line, Symington’s Mr Alves is working with German researchers to adapt a machine harvester that can even pick grapes on steep hills.
https://www.ft.com/content/52fcff0e-53db-11ea-8841-482eed0038b1
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