Liv-ex launches wine identifier

The seven-digit code can be used to quickly identify wine on a database and is available, free, to all wine trade participants.

The code refers to the producer or brand, grape variety or vineyard and extra fields such as vintage, bottle size and pack size can be added as well. The first six numbers are the code and the last digit is a “check”, which should reduce input errors.

Each winery will receive its own individual code and it will allow them to monitor their databases more effectively as they see what stock is going in and what is going out.

It should also help prevent merchants and traders confusing labels when buying or selling remotely.

James Miles, Liv-ex director, said: “We have designed L-WIN to serve as a common language for the wine trade. L-WIN compatible users will be able to transfer large amounts of data – whether that be price lists, warehouse records or purchase orders – to other users in an instant. Both sides will be able to identify exactly which wines the records refer to.”