Taste identification method

Abstract

 The invention relates to a method of stocking wine from a defined grape source in a retail display area in for example a shop which method comprises selecting the grape variety of a wine, selecting the wine style defined as dry, medium or sweet for white wine and light, medium or full for red wines and grouping the wines in a display area according to common style characteristics.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a taste identification method, and a method of stocking a retail unit perform the method.

[0002] In the retailing of wine, particularly of Quality or Premium wines, it is an ongoing problem to educate those who are inexperienced in the wine world as to the products which they may enjoy without extensive training and tasting exercices.

[0003] Traditionally Quality or Premium wine from Europe has been sold on the basis of region. In fact the main components of taste are a function of vinification which in general gives rise to the wine's style, and a function of the grape variety or varieties used. In wines traditionally labelled by region, the region is only very indirectly associated with any particular grape variety, and since one region can utilise more than one grape variety, an intimate knowledge of individual wines of a region is required to associate a bottle of wine with the likely taste of its contents.

[0004] This particular situation does not help the wine novice to select a wine which he or she will find agreeable other than by region.

[0005] In contrast wines sold in countries such as Australia and the United States of America are sold essentially by Trade Mark, but with an indication of the grape variety concerned and occasionally also with an indication of dryness or sweetness.

[0006] However, no attempt has yet been made to collocate a group of wines on the basis of their single common grape of origin and their style.

[0007] Further no attempt has been made to further characterize taste components on an organized basis to give the intended purchaser an idea in advance of purchase of the taste of the wine that is to be purchased.

[0008] Although there are many potential grape varieties, approximately 80% of quality or premium wines sold on the U.K. market (i.e. not blended Table wine) derive, in the case of red wine from 6 varieties; and in the case of white wine, from 11 varieties.

[0009] The term "defined grape source" is used hereinafter to denote that the grape or grapes from which the premium or quality wines are made, are from a known defined area. Such an area may include for example areas of France, Australia, USA and New Zealand from which a quality grape may be derived. The defined grape source may be a single grape source or may be a blend of quality grapes such as for claret.

[0010] It is an object of the present invention to provide means whereby an intending purchaser can readily ascertain from a retail display the qualities and/or taste of a quality wine prior to purchase.

[0011] It is a further object of the present invention to provide means whereby quality wines made from a common grape, but from widely different regions, can be grouped by style, and optionally by other taste components, for sale at a single retail location.

[0012] It is also an object of the present invention to provide a stock control system based upon the grape variety and style rather than the denomination of a region of origin as traditionally used.

[0013] It is another object to the present invention to provide a designation for each grape and/or style or taste component, said designation being alpha-numeric and/or a colour within a defined colour band. Said designation may then be associated with a particular point of retail sale whereby the purchaser, on making a subsequent purchase can confidently select an unknown wine of a particular designation, knowing that the grape, style and taste components will be to their requirements.

[0014] According therefore to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a method of stocking a wine from a defined grape source, in a retailed display area which method comprises;
selecting the grape variety of the wine;
selecting the wine style defined as dry, medium or sweet for white wine, and light medium and full for red wine, and
grouping the wine in the display area according to these common characteristics.

[0015] In an optional feature the wines may be additionally selected on the basis of other designated taste components such as light, fresh, full bodied. aromatic, spicy and/or oak flavored and grouped accordingly on the retail display area.

[0016] It will be appreciated that wines from many different regions of the world can appear in a retail display area each having a multiple common characteristics.

[0017] In a further feature of the invention there is provided a retail display area for wine comprising:-
a plurality of grouped display areas each with a designation,
a plurality of groups of bottled wine, each group being selected on the basis of respective defined grape variety of origin and by wine style;
whereby the designation is indicative to a purchaser that each particular grouping has a common taste profile.

[0018] The group selection of wines may optionally be further subdivided into taste components selected, for example, from light, fresh, full bodied, aromatic, spicy and/or oak flavours. All these designations are known designations within the wine trade and are accordingly well known to those skilled in the art.

[0019] In all the foregoing cases a primary differentiation of the wines is made on the basis of the red or white grape as is traditional in the art.

[0020] The foregoing designations may be a colour or/an alpha-numeric character. For example a dry light fresh white wine may be designated by a light yellow colour, which yellow colour shades darker through dry and full bodied wines, dry aromatic and spicy wines, to medium dry, and to sweet wines which are designated by the deepest yellow colour of all.

[0021] This arrangement enables the purchaser to associate a particular colour of the retail display area with a desired wine taste in future purchases.

[0022] The arrangement allows those untutored in wines to select similar wines to those already found agreeable without inadvertedly purchasing a wine of an unsuitable taste.

[0023] The invention will now be illustrated, by way of illustration only, with reference to the accompanying drawing which shows a front elevation of a retail display area in accordance to the present invention stocked with a plurality of wines from different regions but with common taste characteristics.

[0024] With reference to Figure 1 there is provided a series of vertical shelves headed by the legend "Chardonnay" to denote the grape type. Additionally each vertically orientated bay numbered 1-5 is provided with 4 shelves each designated respectively A, B, C and D. Accordingly it will be seen that the grape style is on each occasion dry but that further taste components are designated respectively, light and fresh, full, and full/oaked.

[0025] As shown in Table 1 hereinafter, is a key to the shelves as shown in Figure 1 which shows that in the vertically orientated shelves (A,B,C and D) in Bay 1 are to be found light, dry, fresh wines. The wines to be found in this retail area are distinct from those to be found in Bay 2, 3 and 4 and respectively, Bay 5.

[0026] The prospective purchaser knowing for example that a previous bottle of Chablis was agreeable, he could try a light, fresh Chablis of Bay 1 or a full bodied dry Chablis of Bay 2. It will be seen for example from Column 5 that many full, dry, oak flavored quality wines have their origins outside Europe for example from USA, Italy and Australia. This sort of information is not available as a method of wine selection to the wine novice except by the process of the present invention.

[0027] Accordingly the invention provides a method of stocking a wine from a defined grape source, a retail display area for wine to utilize the said method, and optionally to a computer programme adopted to embody the principals set out in the method in accordance with the present invertion and adapted to maintain stock levels.

[0028] It will also be noted that the designations at the head of each of Bays 1 to 5 have been designated with the style and further taste designations as previously discussed. Additionaly the coloured background of the Bay can differ such that for example the dry, light, fresh wine of Bay can be coloured light yellow whereas the dry full bodied wine of Bay 2 or 3 can be coloured a middle yellow and the dry full-oaked, Bay 5, car be coloured a dark yellow. The system extends to all eleven grape varieties, each with its own range of styles an wines.

[0029] It will be appreciated that by this means it is possible for purchasers to associate a particular coloured Bay with the style and further taste components which they have previously found agreeable. It also allows them to readily select another bottle from the same Bay with a different label but with a flavour which, in so far as it differs, differs only in minor respect.

Claims

1. A method of stocking a wine from a defined grape source in a retail display area, which method comprises;
selecting the grape variety of the wine,
selecting the wine style defined as dry, medium or sweet, for white wine, and light medium and full for red wines and
grouping the wine in the display area according to these common characteristics.

2. A method according to Claim 1 wherein the wines are further subdivided on the basis of other taste components.

3. A method according to Claim 2 wherein the taste components are selected from light, fresh, full bodied, aromatic, spicy and/or oak flavored tastes.

4. A method according to any proceeding Claim wherein each taste grouping is given an alpha-numeric or colour coding.

5. A retail display area for wine comprising:
a plurality of group display means each with a designation,
a plurality of groups of bottled wine, each group being selected on the basis of a respective defined grape variety of origin, and by wine style;
whereby the designation is indicative to a purchaser that each particular grouping has a common taste profile.

6. A retail dispaly area according to Claim 5 when the wines are further selected on the basis of otehr taste components.

7. A retail display area according to either of Claims 5 or 6 wherein the other taste components are selected from light, fresh, full bodied, aromatic, spicy and/or oak flavored tastes.

8. A retail display area according to any of Claims 5 to 7 wherein each taste grouping is given an alpha-numeric or colour coding.

Drawing