Thin Film Electronics (Thinfilm) has announced that Barbadillo has unveiled an exclusive release of rare sherry in "smart bottles" protected by Thinfilm's NFC-based authentication technology. The NFC OpenSense tags incorporated into each bottle are specifically designed to thwart counterfeiters, prevent unauthorized refills, and facilitate product authentication.
According to the announcement the Versos 1891 was originally a gift to Manuel Barbadillo by his father as a christening present in 1891, and was already then described as an old Amontillado. Stored in the humid cellars of Barbadillo in Sanlucar de Barrameda, Andalusia, generations of winemakers from the Barbadillo family, as well as the firm's coopers and cellar masters, have acted as its custodians while it aged slowly in the balanced conditions required of the finest old sherries.
Each bottle of Versos 1891 will have an NFC OpenSense tag incorporated into the bottle that can distinguish between the product's "factory sealed" and "opened" states.
Using Thinfilm's custom app and cloud-based platform, the tag can wirelessly transmit authentication data to consumers with the tap of an NFC-enabled smartphone.
In addition, each tag is uniquely identifiable and trackable, and cannot be cloned.
Thinfilm worked closely with Constantia Flexibles, a trusted partner and one of the world's leading manufacturers of flexible packaging and labels, on incorporating the NFC OpenSense technology within the Versos 1891 bottle. Spear USA Inc., Constantia's label division led the integration efforts.Manuel Barbadillo, Chairman of Barbadillo and grandson of Don Manuel, said, "Versos 1891 is the celebration of an extraordinary man, a legendary winery, and a deep-rooted tradition of winemaking." Manuel added, "Given the rarity of this release and its significance to the Barbadillo family, we feel compelled to protect it. Thinfilm's technology delivers that protection, for our business and our valued consumers."
Davor Sutija, CEO of Thinfilm, said, "It's gratifying that an emerging Norwegian technology company can deliver value to a centuries-old Spanish winery on such a meaningful initiative." Davor added, "The Barbadillo brand has a rich history, and we're delighted that our NFC OpenSense technology is playing a role in protecting that legacy."