AI sommeliers, 3D environments, and a digital passport: WineHunter Innovation is the platform that certifies wine and food excellence.

Developing a cutting-edge digital platform for the food and wine sector, capable of integrating interactive storytelling and technological certification into an innovative business model. This is the goal successfully achieved by WHI ( WineHunter Innovation ), the innovation project promoted by Gourmet's International, organizer of the Merano WineFestival, co-financed by SMACT Competence Center under the IRISS call for proposals, and implemented in collaboration with Connected Reality , the Free University of Bolzano , and EzLab .

Helmuth Köcher, President and CEO of Gourmet's International , comments: "The evolution of international markets and new communication needs have driven us to explore increasingly advanced digital frontiers. We've realized that today's companies' competitiveness depends on tools that offer constant global visibility, transcending the physical limitations of individual events. From this awareness, the idea was born to create a tool that highlights the excellence of local areas and products in a virtual and digital world that, however, allows us to delve much deeper into the heart of companies."

The initiative was created to integrate the potential of digital communication into an innovative ecosystem aimed at revolutionizing the promotional capabilities of wine, food, and beverage producers. Thanks to the synergy between 3D virtual environments , blockchain certification , and artificial intelligence , this solution targets companies and wine lovers, offering them a platform capable of transcending traditional channels through direct and certified interaction.

Gourmet's International therefore aims to provide producers with a new and functional tool to tackle ever-expanding international markets and digital activities that are much more engaging than in the past.

The project marks a clear paradigm shift, moving from the classic management of information in traditional web format to a dynamic experience based on three innovative solutions born from collaboration with strategic partners .

The first is the WineHunter 3D Metaverse , developed with Connected Reality : an immersive and interconnected virtual space, accessible from PCs, smartphones, tablets, and VR headsets, where the winery's storytelling becomes interactive and less passive, allowing visitors, producers, and operators to meet, creating an international digital community. This environment is complemented by the Digital Passport, created in partnership with EZLab , an innovative digital passport that integrates product technical information with Blockchain certificates dedicated to production chains, thus ensuring secure, traceable, and immutable data throughout the entire supply chain. Completing the ecosystem is the WineHunter AI Sommelier , the result of a collaboration with the Free University of Bolzano . This intelligent assistant, trained on a proprietary wine database, is able to provide verified and certified information , suggest pairings between high-end products, and accompany visitors on their virtual journey, acting as a personalized digital guide.

The WHI project represents a significant opportunity for Gourmet's International to experiment with innovative technologies and explore new avenues for promoting agri-food excellence. Future plans for the initiative include expanding the network into strategic markets and evolving the digital passport as a standard of assurance for international buyers and consumers . Furthermore, the integration of 3D environments and an AI Sommelier allows Gourmet's International to envision a 24-hour consultancy model , capable of transforming the presentation of physical products into a comprehensive and certified digital experience .

Gourmet's International

Since 1992, Gourmet's International has pursued the mission of celebrating and promoting excellence in the national and international food and wine sectors. The company is the operational arm of The WineHunter brand, founded and led by Helmuth Köcher, who curates the renowned Merano WineFestival, a flagship event that has spawned similar events in other Italian regions—such as Wine&Siena and the Merano WineFestival Calabria, and the new Gusto Nobile Basilicata—and around the world, with stops in key markets including Brazil, Canada, China, Georgia, and Japan. The heart of the business also lies in The WineHunter Award selection system: through 14 tasting panels, the company annually evaluates over 8,000 wines and more than 500 food, spirits, and beer products, awarding quality awards (Rosso, Gold, and Platinum) that are incorporated into the annual guide and specialized certifications (WH Food Award, WH Spirit Award, and WH Beer Award). Gourmet's International also manages a robust B2B network through the WineHunter Buyers Club and promotes professional training through the WineHunter Academy, consolidating a digital and physical ecosystem that connects producers, experts, and markets from around the world.

SMACT is the national Competence Center for the digitalization of Italian businesses, established in the Northeast of Italy through an alliance between Triveneto universities, research institutions, public facilitation agencies, and over 80 technology and early adopter companies. Through an innovation ecosystem, SMACT is the institutional partner that helps companies initiate and implement their digital and technological transformation journeys. By listening to and analyzing companies' needs, the Competence Center activates the best skills to offer innovation, training, research, and development services.