By Louis, Wine Services
In wine, data collection is a complex process that demands precise, rigorous methods to deliver reliable results. At Wine Services, data entry, integration, and quality control sit at the core of what we do - giving clients a detailed, relevant read on their distribution. Here's how we ensure exhaustive collection and high-performing quality control.
Data entry: automated and manual, combined
To guarantee accuracy, we use two complementary methods: OCR automation and manual entry. Optical character recognition captures the key fields on PDF wine lists - wine, vintage, price - automatically, through software we call ECR, fast and efficient at high volume. It's ideal for standard, OCR-friendly documents. Once data is OCR'd, formatting and standardization matter: here too we've built matching algorithms, followed by human verification for our clients' and competitors' data.
Some data still needs manual entry - for restaurants and wine shops in formats OCR can't handle. Combining both methods lets us cover a wide range of points of sale while keeping the information exhaustive and accurate. Collection spans many quantitative fields (price, format, numeric distribution, appellation, vintage), covering the full range of client needs.
Integration and rigorous quality control
Collected data is integrated into our system through a technology platform that centralizes everything on wines, restaurants, and wine shops. The platform organizes the data and automatically checks that KPIs are met - say, 85% coverage of Michelin-starred venues - before anything is released to clients. Integration runs via structured file imports for smooth, efficient management.
Quality control is the crucial step. We've built a warning system that automatically flags anomalies - prices more than 20% above the market median, inconsistent vintages - and every point of sale a client loses is checked by hand. For Bordeaux wines, for instance, a vintage that's too young or too old can trigger an alert. A dedicated four-person quality team then verifies flagged data at each stage of the process. The system is especially valuable for sensitive products like vintage Champagnes, where a vintage error can skew how the product is perceived.
Challenges and solutions
Quality control in wine isn't without hurdles. Some markets, like Dubai, are complex because prices diverge sharply from European norms, driving a high warning rate that demands closer follow-up. Asian markets add language barriers and limited online access to wine lists, making verification more laborious. To clear these, we run rigorous corrective procedures: the moment an error surfaces - flagged by a client or by our system - we verify and fix it. Some fixes ripple across the database, so we coordinate with our technical teams to avoid inconsistencies.
Update frequency
Update cadence varies by market. In the U.S. and Asia, continuous monitoring detects changes in online wine lists in real time, with a processing-and-QC turnaround of about two weeks - ideal where digitalization is advanced and lists change often. More stable markets get an annual survey, keeping the data reliably current.
In short
Entry, integration, and quality control are central to our commitment to reliable, current data. With automated and manual methods, a high-performing warning system, and layered quality checks and corrective procedures, we guarantee the quality of the information clients rely on to optimize distribution. Want to learn more about our data-collection services? Get in touch.