Roadside wine dispensers are rolling out across Provence, offering motorists the chance to buy chilled bottles with just a credit card and QR code – no sommelier in sight, The Times recently reported
The vending machines, branded Cave O Vin, can hold up to 1,000 bottles, kept at a steady 14°C. Developed by French firm Espace Drive, they aim to provide vineyards with an automated retail solution that operates around the clock.
“They wanted to be able to sell their wines without employing people to work in their shops at all hours,” Stéphany Bonnard, director of Espace Drive told The Times. “I understand that this is different to our tradition of enjoying wine in France. But this is an addition to that, not a threat to it.”
Each machine costs vineyards from €1,300 per month to rent. The smallest models can store 42 bottles – about the size of a small car. Reds are kept at 14°C, while whites, rosés, and champagnes are chilled to between 8°C and 10°C.
So far, 22 machines have been built, and about six have been ordered. Two are expected to go live in Aix-en-Provence by the end of next month, pending local mayoral approval.
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