Frederick Wildman & Sons Launches Augmented Reality Experience for Italian Fine Wines Brands

Leading U.S. Wine Importer Unveils Augmented Reality Experience to Provide Trade and Consumers with Virtual Wine Tastings in a Digital World

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Frederick Wildman and Sons, leading wine importer in the United States, announced today the launch of new augmented reality (AR) experiences for two of the company’s fine Italian wine brands—Santi and Nino Negri. This new feature will transport users to these two esteemed wineries through curated virtual experiences accessible on mobile devices, allowing Frederick Wildman to incite retailers and consumers to discover the fine Italian wines within its distinguished portfolio.

Unlocked via a QR code on the necker of the bottle or by visiting https://www.frederickwildman.com/AR/, users will be taken to a suite of educational tools such as a guided wine tasting, food pairings, the history of the bottle and winery, and more. Frederick Wildman conceptualized this AR experience as an opportunity for these Italian wine brands to engage marketers and consumers in an increasingly digital world.

Frederick Wildman will be debuting this AR experience with Santi “Ventale” Valpolicella Superior DOC and Nino Negri “Quadrio” in April 2021, followed by Santi “Santico” Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOCG in Q3 of this year. “The goal is to roll out with a variety of different wines from Italy to show the diversity of fine Italian wines,” said Amanda Paul-Garnier, Director of Italian Fine Wines for Frederick Wildman. “There is an untold story behind every bottle of wine, and we are excited that this AR program will make the passion, history and technique behind these wines more tangible and accessible for everyone who is experiences them.”

This AR feature from Frederick Wildman provides an elevated wine tasting experience with each bottle, created by TACTIC, and includes several innovative attributes such as:

• Real people as 3-D holograms: Designers and Italian wine lovers, Pia and Davide Baroncini were live captured on a stage from all angles, modifying their likeness into 3-D avatars. Users can view the avatars as a whole form, as if they are directly in front of them on our Smartphones, as they lead the virtual wine tasting experience.
• The Narrative of using Technology Avatars: Using cutting edge technology, Immersive storytelling transports consumers to the vineyards of Italy in this unique, in-depth virtual wine-tasting experience, the first of its kind. The tasting offers rich content both by a 3D expert and a visual story telling element, including multiple segments of history, tasting notes, and pairings.
• Web-Based Avatars triggering from the bottles: To simplify the user experience, all you need is a wireless Internet connection on your Smartphone – simply open the link or scan a QR code to go directly to the virtual wine tasting experience. As the first of its kind, users can activate the tasting tour from scanning the bottle and the whole experience takes place within the browser.

For a preview of this AR experience, please visit https://vimeo.com/529213342/150da9f6b0.

Santi “Ventale” Valpolicella Superiore DOC wine is a berry-forward, full-bodied wine made from the 80% Corvina, 10% Corvinone and 10% Rondinella. Tracing its roots to 1843, the winery is situated in Italy near Lake Garda, behind the Lessini Mountains. Santi is home to a very special climate. The combination of constant wind and sea air provides perfect conditions for making complex red wines with high acidity which make them good for aging. Nino Negri “Quadrio” is a medium-bodied wine with notes of raspberry and cherry and a light lingering dryness from the tannins made from 90% Nebbiolo and 10% Merlot. The Nino Negri winery is known for their elegant Nebbiolo wines cultivated in the extreme terrains in the Valtellina valley. Their 5 Stelle Sfursat 2015 won a 94-point rating from Wine Spectator and put them on the world stage.

To adapt to changes in industry norms, this step towards digital innovation is one of the ways wineries and importers are educating distributors, retailers, buyers, and consumers in lieu of the standard in-person samplings and tastings typically conducted by sales teams. This new technology creates an engaging experience that allows both trade and consumers to connect with the wines as an alternative to in-person wine tastings or education.

Bottles of Santi’s “Ventale” Valpolicella Superiore DOC 750ml and Nino Negri’s “Quadrio” will begin hitting retailer shelves nationwide next month. The suggested retail price for Santi Ventale is $16 and for Nino Negri’s “Quadrio” is $20. For more information, please visit frederickwildman.com.

ABOUT FREDERICK WILDMAN AND SONS

Frederick Wildman and Sons is a New York based fine wine importer offering the leading properties from France, Italy, Spain, Argentina and other regions. The portfolio includes more than 75 brands, including: Santi, Nino Negri, Lamberti, Pol Roger, Château Fuissé, J.J. Vincent, Folonari, Chartreuse, Marchesi di Barolo, Domaine Faiveley, Famille Hugel, Pascal Jolivet as well as Cantine Riunite & CIV’s full portfolio, and the fine wines of Gruppo Italiano Vini. For more information, visit frederickwildman.com.

Contacts

PR:
Katherine Brady

Katherine.Brady@finnpartners.com