Atlanta might be known for its Southern Hospitality and strong foodie scene. But it’s probably not on your list as a destination for wine in the way Napa, Sonoma, or Bordeaux are.
But could it be a hub for wine technology?
Seth Lytle thinks it can be. He’s combining his engineering background with his love of wine together with his startup VinoBarrel, a wine preservation and automated pouring system designed to elevate the wine-drinking experience.
And with each barrel, he’s looking to change the hospitality industry.
Inside The VinoBarrel
VinoBarrel delivers a chilled and aerated glass of wine automatically. This ensures that consumers get the “best version of the wine” in every glass, exactly how wine producers intended it to be enjoyed, Lytle told Hypepotamus.
Each wooden oak barrel holds two reusable kegs of wine, or around 250 glasses, and is on wheels for convenient movement and storage. Pouring from VinoBarrels ensures that each glass is poured at the correct temperature (something that is hard to control while individual bottles are left out on tables at large events).
Putting wine in kegs is ideal for large crowds, Lytle explained. Using reusable barrels and kegs is also a sustainability move, eliminating over 76% of a wine’s transportation and packaging carbon emissions compared to glass bottles.
This allows wineries to create “branded satellites of their tasting rooms” so more people can experience wines at their peak without having to travel, Lytle told Hypepotamus.
Importantly, the barrels also help venues handle unexpected crowd surges, reduce additional staffing costs, and update pouring schedules and cost-per-pour in real-time. This gives venues an additional level of flexibility and another way to drive revenue without sacrificing wine quality.
The barrels are helping more wineries break into the $4 billion direct-to-consumer wine sales industry.
“We partner with wineries who are interested in committing, or have already committed, some of their production into eco-friendly kegs in addition to bottles and see the excitement we’re capturing with this barrel pouring system,” Lytle added. “Free Flow Wines is our premier partner because of their leading and proven track record of helping wineries allocate and manage a wine keg program. They have an expansive and rich set of wineries onboarded already and we’re excited to help them capture more clients who are supporting this efficient and sustainable distribution channel.”
Tech Meets Wine
Each barrel is currently made-to-order inside a facility in Atlanta and rented out to users. As a managed service, users are provided with the hardware, software, and maintenance support needed to keep each barrel up and running.
The tech that makes it all possible is hidden from the consumer. Connected to a POS system, consumers are charged by the glass. Inside each barrel are IoT sensors, which give details about the quantity of wine left and the temperature of each keg.
Additionally, the barrels collect that all-too-valuable first-part data about customers, providing insights that can enhance the wine-tasting experience and drive personalized marketing strategies.
Meet The Founder
Lytle learned his love of wine from his grandparents, Italian immigrants and avid winemakers.
As a technologist and systems engineer by training, Lytle built his career in software after graduating from Georgia Tech. He worked at Atlanta-based Silverpop and IBM before launching VinoBarrel in 2022.
Lytle brought VinoBarrel to Georgia’s Chateau Elan, a popular winery and hotel just north of Atlanta, in early March 2024. The barrel has allowed the winery to pour more of its wine to more visitors.
“By August, we’ll surpass 2,000 pours and just as many smiles!” Lytle added.
Lytle, a fan of Zinfandels and Barolos himself, sees VinoBarrel as a platform that can help more people fall in love with wine while helping venues deliver wine in a “better, more efficient” way.
On top of working with wineries, Lytle is looking to bring VinoBarrel to airport lounges, sports venues, and anywhere crowds gather.
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Photos provided by VinoBarrel
