A 21st-century tool for fine wine enthusiasts
Engineering — With its project called "Mémoire du vin" (Wine Memory), the FiveCo firm ventures off the beaten track.
The engineers at Lausanne-based FiveCo enjoy turning up where they are least expected. Their latest creation is a case in point: a "cellar management system" that is anything but conventional — starting with how it came about. With a Burgundian father, FiveCo director Antoine Lorotte could hardly fail to develop a passion for wine. It is a personal connection he makes no attempt to hide in the product's presentation booklet; FiveCo intends to sell an "exclusive" numbered series of twenty units at CHF 15,000 each.
From his father's cellar
"Sharp", "marked", "light", "full-bodied": these were the words Antoine Lorotte's father used to describe his wines to his young son, who followed his lead. "He had 2,000 bottles and knew exactly what he had in his cellar." A memory that left its mark — and one that this device, a blend of technology and chic design, pays tribute to.
The product takes the form of an oak cabinet. It records bottles going in and out of the cellar via a plastic ring fitted with a transponder — a type of transmitter capable only of sending a number. Passing the ring close to the cabinet "wakes up" a database management application, which opens the file corresponding to the selected bottle. Drawing on data from the Swiss Vinfox database, the software allows the enthusiast to look up the vintage, region, grape variety, and current stock level.
The commercial approach itself represents a departure from FiveCo's usual strategy. "Normally, we propose a concept and develop it for a client, who orders a certain number of units," its director explains. This time, it is the complete opposite. The proceeds from units sold will be reinvested in the creation of a separate company, also named "Mémoire du vin", which will be dedicated entirely to commercialising the product.
"Media moments"
In just over six years, FiveCo has made a name for itself through around seventy projects that have sometimes given the impression of going in all directions at once. In the end, this versatility has become one of the company's key strengths. Starting from nothing, FiveCo now reports an annual turnover approaching CHF 2 million. Its first major "media moment" was the development of a licence plate recognition system. Two other achievements attracted significant press coverage: Explorer, made for Hublot — a system enabling a 360° view of a displayed object via a camera controlled over the internet — and Raptor, the glass-free display stand with a retractable arm capable of whisking the exhibited object away should interest become a little too hands-on.
