TMG’s advanced robotic bottling and packaging arm has found solid demand from wineries globally, including in Australia.
By Hans Mick in Milan
The adoption of advanced technology, to improve efficiencies and cut production costs, has been touted as ‘the way forward’ for wine producers at this year’s SIMEI trade exhibition in Italy.
The bi-annual event’s 30th edition has concluded in Milan with organisers reporting record numbers of industry exhibitors and visitors.
There were 578 wine and beverage sector exhibitors, covering a massive 30,000 square metres of exhibition space at the bustling Fiaro Milano centre.
According to a survey conducted to coincide with SIMEI, 63 per cent of the global wine sector expects to end 2024 in financial decline, with a drop in revenue of around 4% expected across the board. Only 25% of respondents expect to finish the current calendar year in line with their 2023 results. A smaller 14% expect increased revenue for 2024 when compared to last year.
“In nine out of 10 wineries around the world there are machines and components designed and made in Italy,” explained Pedro Castelletti, general secretary of Unione Italiana Vini (UIV), which runs SIMEI. “It is a sector often overlooked in sector analyses, which nevertheless represents an important and crucial asset for the related industries of the entire wine system, which we know is experiencing a complex economic situation.
“In such a scenario the supply chain contracts expected for 2025 are even more important,” he said.
Sales manager Leone Minoia from Italy-based supplier Albrigi Technologie reiterated that it is has been a challenging business year for suppliers, along with others across the sector.
“This year for us wasn’t exactly bad, but it was quite difficult for everybody because the wine sector is not very strong at the moment.”
“People are not drinking wine as much here in Italy, and also in France. As a result it’s been hard for us to propose the purchase of equipment to our customers.”
Minoia said that in response his company, like other manufacturers, have had to ‘think outside the box’.
“We try every day to propose novel solutions, and to think of solutions that nobody has thought of before. We want to come up with new technology with heart to offer solutions to our winemaking customers.”
He said that artificial intelligence and advanced data collection are among the state-of the-art systems that his company is helping to bring to winemakers to improve processes such as fermentation.
Global key account manager Federico De Checchi, from whole-system bottling and packaging supplier TMG, said his company has been at the forefront of technological development for winemakers for 50 years, but that there has never been a greater need for more cost-effective and streamlined systems than now.
“We offer very customised technology to our clients. The research behind this is a big part of what we do.”
De Checchi said a growing segment of the industry is moving towards the adoption of high tech solutions.
“Eighty per cent of the industry is still very traditional, but around 20% – especially the bigger players – are embracing the newer systems.”
He said this trend is, in part, driven by producers needing to address a “time when profitability is suffering”.
“Because with automation, for example, and other new systems, you can become more efficient. You can operate with fewer staff and with higher-speed production processes.”
He said that despite the industry-wide downturn, demand for his family-owned company’s advanced machinery, including robotic systems, has remained strong in many international markets, including Australia.
De-alcoholisation trend
Another opportunity for the wine sector that’s been embraced by exhibitors at SIMEI 2024 has been the move toward greater production of de-alcoholised, or NoLo, wines.
“In the States we prefer to call them ‘low sugar’ rather than ‘low alcohol’ wines,” said Randy Ullom, oenologist and vice president of Californian wine giant Jackson Family Wines.
SIMEI organisers explained that it has been the technologies for de-alcoholised winemaking that have drawn the most attention at this year’s event.
One of the latest innovations for large scale production of NoLo wines, known as Libero, was launched at SIMEI.
Developed by Omnia Technologies, this provides a continuous cycle capable of removing the alcohol from wine.
Omnia Technologies has revealed that it has experienced “unprecedented interest” in the new technology, especially from Spanish, Greek and US producers.
SIMEI 2024 wrapped up with thousands of visitors passing through its gates, with delegates coming from 32 countries.
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