Measuring Variability in Temperature Along International Supply Chains for Wine
Tracking international wine shipments
We have begun a project to measure and document the variability of temperature within cartons of wine along international supply chains.
We have put together a network of colleagues around the world, from major wine-producing regions to centers of consumption. Colleagues will insert temperature-recording devices in cartons of wine at points of production (initially in Australia, Chile, and South Africa). The cartons will be shipped, initially, to the US, where we will retrieve the devices, which we have configured to record time and temperature at 2 hour intervals. We will correlate time with location by interpolating scanning data collected along each supply chain and, by this, try to understand causes of variations in temperature. In addition we shall document variations in transit times. We will then share the history of measurements with all supporters of the project.
What makes this project unique
Others have measured the effects of temperature on the quality of wine, but this project seems to be unique in scale, scope, and duration. First we will track wine shipments for at least one year, so that we can observe the full effects of seasonality. Furthermore, we are tracking product from multiple wineries, through multiple shipping lanes, carriers, ports, importers, and distributors. In Phase 1 of the project, we will track the wine only as far as the importer; in Phase 2, we shall track the wine past the distributor and all the way to the final customer (or to whomever opens the carton), so that we see the entire supply chain.
Data-sharing
The Wine Supply Chain Council will act as a neutral third party to retrieve and manage the data, which shall be shared with all participants in the project. Each participant will see his own raw data but only the aggregated, anonymous data of others. The Wine Supply Chain Council will work with participants to help them interpret the results.
We shall also release reports discussing aggregate results.
Future plans
Initially we are documenting supply chains from wineries in Australia, Chile, and South Africa to the US. As our processes become more stable and reliable, we will expand to include markets in the UK, Japan, and Singapore and wine producers in Argentina, Italy, France, Spain, and elsewhere. In addition, we will grow the WSCC by adding strategic partners.
We are also planning other projects to help understand and improve global supply chains moving wine, fruit, and other high-value, temperature-sensitive perishables.
Interested?
We welcome inquiries, whether you are interested in participating, seeing the results, or making suggestions. Contact us