Vinitech-Sifel awards 30 innovations designed to solve real problems in the wine sector

Tuesday, September 22, 2026

Vinitech-Sifel announced the winners of its 2026 Innovation Awards on Tuesday, September 22, less than three months before the opening of the trade fair in Bordeaux. The jury recognized 30 innovations out of the 55 projects analyzed, with awards distributed across the areas of cultivation techniques, processing, packaging, and marketing, in addition to a special jury prize.

The organization notes that the competition has been identifying equipment, processes, and services with practical applications in the wine sector for 45 years. The projects were reviewed between July 1st and September 9th by an independent jury comprised of scientific and technical organizations such as IFV, ISVV, INRAE, and Bordeaux Sciences Agro. The evaluation criteria focused on practical application, economic viability, safety, ergonomics, and environmental impact.

Sébastien Cavaignac, co-chair of the scientific and technical committee, stated that the level of this edition was high and that technical innovation alone is no longer sufficient. In their evaluation, the jury gave greater weight to workplace and user safety, as well as the economic and environmental viability of each proposal.

The special jury prize, which had not been awarded since 2022, went to Agrocampus Bordeaux Gironde for its Terroir d'idées wine innovation hackathon. The project aims to foster new ideas among young people for products, services, uses, and experiences that contribute to the economic development and attractiveness of the sector. The initiative is promoted by the La Tour Blanche institute, part of Agrocampus Bordeaux Gironde, with support from Fusion Jeunesse and the backing of Château d'Yquem, the Regional Campus of Vine and Wine, the DRAAF Nouvelle-Aquitaine, the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, and various industry professionals.

In the cultivation techniques category, the gold medal went to Surus Connect, from the French company SURUS CONNECT, based in Bègles. It is an alarm device for isolated workers, connected and adapted to agricultural and viticultural work. The company explains that it works even in areas without coverage thanks to redundant communication networks, reduces false alarms, incorporates automatic machinery shutdown in case of an incident, and allows for mapping risk factors on the farm, such as heat, vibrations, or noise.

The silver medal in that category went to SOUSLIKOFF, from Arcins, for EXTRALEX, a post-harvest mechanical tool designed to extract and recover vine leaves from the row and the ground. The company maintains that by eliminating the primary inoculum present in plant debris from one season to the next, it significantly reduces epidemic pressure, especially that of downy mildew, without resorting to chemical products.

The bronze awards in cultivation techniques went to the Gironde Chamber of Agriculture for VitiSCENARIO by MATEVI, a technical and economic simulator to model changes in practices and improve farm organization; to the Austrian company Hofstaetter Technologies for HELIOS Wine, an active protection system against late frosts that, according to the company, operates down to -5 °C and down to -7 °C in extreme situations; and to Multifolia SAS for VITIFOLIA, a natural nematicidal organic amendment approved as a basic substance of European origin, aimed at controlling the nematode vector of the short internode virus and restoring the vitality of the vines.

The awards in this area went to Senseen Nutriscope, a decision support tool capable of measuring 16 nutritional indicators in the field from sap analysis; to the Maxi vigna hydro 5000 isobus fertilizer spreader, from the Italian company Agrex, with integrated continuous weighing and Isobus regulation; to FRAY7, an organic spring fertilizer from Groupe Ethicae; and to FOLENIA, a foliar biostimulant from Veragrow made from vermicompost enriched with humic and fulvic acids.

In the Transformation category, the gold award went to M&WINE, from Fontaines-Saint-Martin, for IAssemblage, a decision support tool based on artificial intelligence and mineral and qualitative data. The company presents it as a winery assistant capable of simulating the effect of different aging decisions and comparing blending scenarios to approximate the desired sensory profile.

The silver medal in that category was shared between two proposals. The first was ADJUSTEC, from Tonnellerie Taransaud, a new generation of hoop tensioners for wooden tanks and vats that compensates for dimensional variations and restores the watertightness of the containers. The second was DAD, Dynamic Air Diagnostic, from Laboratoires Dubernet, an air quality monitoring solution for wineries compliant with ISO 16000, which takes samples in 30 minutes to identify atmospheric pollutants and volatile compounds that can alter the organoleptic profile of wine.

The bronze awards for transformation went to TopDegust, a digital platform from the French Institute of Vine and Wine (Institut Français de la Vigne et du Vin) for processing sensory data in winemaking, experimentation, and quality control; to the OPC Préparateur Œnologique mobile unit from Vini Solutions, designed for the safe and homogeneous incorporation of oenological products, continuous clarification by flotation, and automated on-site cleaning; to WINEGRID - Data-Driven Assistant from the Portuguese company Watgrid, which combines real-time sensors and predictive analysis to warn of deviations during fermentation; to OENODRINKS from the Gironde Chamber of Agriculture, a kit for experimenting with and formulating natural aromatics for new beverage profiles; and to Polytube from Biopythos, a modular aging vessel that combines a ceramic tube with closures made of different materials and allows for up to 30 oenological variations.

The mentions in transformation were for WINEGRID - e-bung V2, a connected stopper that controls color, opacity, level and temperature inside the barrel; for Smart Valve, from the Italian company Parsec, a motorized valve communicating by means of a carrier current; for VINISUB, from Lamouroux, a remote-controlled underwater drone capable of penetrating the pomace cap and mapping in 3D the physicochemical parameters of the deposits; and for Symphoenie, from Technopompe, a multi-function mobile cart for transfers under gas, deoxygenation, carbonization, flotation and dosing of additives.

There was no gold medal in the packaging category. The silver went to ECOFASS, from CG Industry, a reusable keg with a single-use, airtight bag for serving wine under pressure without contact with the propellant gas. The company maintains that the system eliminates product loss and reduces logistics costs in the HORECA channel (hotels, restaurants, and catering).

The bronze awards for packaging went to Diam LiOX, by Diam Bouchage, a micro-agglomerated cork stopper that reduces initial oxygen release after bottling by 50%; to TWIST & POP, by Amorim France, a micro-granulated cork stopper that can be opened and closed by hand without a corkscrew and without modifying bottling lines; and to RACK OMEGA & RACK OMEGALUX, by the Spanish company Oenoptimum, a modular architectural system for storing and displaying barrels with better floor space utilization and improved staff safety. The only honorable mention in this category went to WQS Nomasense CO2 C2000, by Vinventions France, a portable analyzer that measures dissolved CO2 in 30 seconds in the winery or online before conditioning.

In the marketing category, the gold award went to MA PETITE CARAFE by MYWAH, a self-contained, connected solution that allows wine to be served by the glass and bottle from standard Bag-in-Box containers, with instant temperature control at various levels. The company maintains that the system modernizes service and helps to enhance the value of wines in restaurants and wine tourism.

The silver medal for marketing went to the serious game “Parcelle vivante,” developed by the Gironde Chamber of Agriculture and LIT CEPA(H)GES. The project offers an immersive experience that places participants in the daily management of a farm and aims to foster social dialogue between winegrowers and neighbors regarding input reduction and the agroecological transition. There was no bronze medal in this category. The honorable mention went to OENOFIL, by Metay 3D, a bio-based 3D printing filament made from local grape pomace to produce functional or promotional objects and reusable bags for bulk wine.

The awards ceremony will take place on December 1st at 5:00 PM in Hall 1, Forum Space, at the Bordeaux Exhibition Centre. The winning solutions will be on display throughout the three days of Vinitech-Sifel, both at exhibitor booths and in the 3,000 m² of dynamic testing space at Techno Show, as well as in the Village Startups International, which will bring together more than 30 startups. Vinitech-Sifel is organized by Beam. Bordeaux Events and More.