The Internet of Wine and Art (IOWA) project is looking at the wine-making manufacturing industry in Italy, with wine producer Marco Felluga. Set in a centuries-old wine production house, currently operated by the sixth consecutive generation of wine makers, the project represents for this wine maker a next stage in building ‘a winery for the future’. Having already been recognised as a leader in their field through investments in energy reduction and sustainable growing, this project will focus inside, going into the cellars where the wine is aged and blended, as well as looking at waste residues from the production process. 

The IOWA project will work on two tracks which will come together in a third, with the help of technology provider Bubamara V and artist Anna Dumitriu.  

The first track is the development of an IoT cork in the barrels with technology provider Bubamara V, which will measure what’s happening inside the barrel itself. One of the most complicated challenges in wine making is understanding ageing and perfecting blending. Getting, for the first time, data insights into what happens in the barrels will open a range of opportunities to improve production.  

The second track focuses on the waste produced, including waste from the land and waste from the grape peel. Currently, only 2% of this is recycled and reused, so a lot of experimentation is needed to find ways to valorise this resource. The artist Anna Dumitriu will explore how residue and waste from the wine making process can be used in various ways, including possibilities for packaging, bio-textiles, and even paper.  

The third track, which where both tracks come together, is in the development of an e-labelling system, giving the wines in the bottles a voice of their own in sharing the story of their journey to sustainability, or how their peel gained a new life, to their customers.