Self-service wine vending machine approved for French roadsides
Innovative machines offer convenient wine access while adhering to alcohol laws
Roadside booths could soon be a common sight
Espace-Drive
Self-service wine vending machines, sometimes available 24 hours a day, could soon be a feature of French roadsides after an Aix-en-Provence firm perfected a model which meets laws for selling alcohol.
The distributors, called Cave O Vin, display wines and prices behind glass doors, with bottles only released after the buyer has scanned a QR code and provided a photograph of their ID to prove age.
Wines are usually kept at 14C, the ideal cellar temperature for reds, but individual shelves can be kept colder – some white wines are better served chilled.
Read more: Myths and facts about France's winemaking terroir
Authorisation for the machines, which cost the vineyards €1,230 a month, usually has to be obtained from the mayor of the commune. Where communes ban alcohol sales outside bars after 22:00, the machines are shut down at that time.
“We make distributors for cheese and charcuteries, and were approached by vineyards to see if we could do the same for wines,” said Stéphany Bonnard of the company Espace Drive, which makes the machines.
“We are based in a wine-making area and vineyards are keen to sell directly to the public, but having a shop on site requires hiring someone to manage it. This way no one has to be on the site all the time.”
