Kodak Traceless system helps winery protect its brand

With limited production of world class pinot noirs, the Kosta Browne Winery has a loyal following of connoisseurs. Its coveted Pinots could also be the target of counterfeiters, so the Sonoma County, California-based winery is taking preemptive action by implementing the Kodak Traceless system for anti-counterfeiting to protect its valuable vintages and its customers.

‘Kosta Browne wines are highly valued at auctions around the country due to high demand and limited availability,’ said Chris Costello, proprietor and managing partner, Kosta Browne Winery. ‘The problem of counterfeiting has become more common, especially with wines sold at auction. With the Kodak Traceless system, we are doing everything we can to ensure that each bottle with the Kosta Browne name on it is authentic, protecting the quality and integrity of our brand and our customers’ investment.’

With counterfeit wines estimated to account for as much as five percent of the secondary market according to Wine Spectator magazine, vintners need new technologies that allow them to easily validate the authenticity of their products. The Traceless system is a covert technology using forensically invisible markers that can be added to printing inks, paper or other packaging elements during the manufacturing process. These markers are detectible using only Kodak Traceless Pen Readers. This allows Kosta Browne to quickly and effectively implement a protection strategy that assures long term security of the product and the brand.

Kodak and Kosta Browne Winery worked closely with label printer Tapp Technologies of Napa, California, to develop an authentication solution that could be applied invisibly to the Kosta Browne packaging without adding steps or costs to production.

‘The Traceless system surpasses any other anti-counterfeiting solution currently available because of its ease of use,’ said Bill Knopka, vice president and general manager, Tapp Technologies. ‘We simply incorporate Kodak’s technology into our labels to give wine producers an easy to implement, cost effective and long lasting solution for protecting their products. The Traceless system is very versatile and has no effect on the characteristics of the end products or the packaging. This is very important to our wine customers who don’t want to mar their unique, high design branded labels.’

Kosta Browne Winery joins a unique list of wine producers that have implemented the system to ensure the authenticity of their prized bottles, including Colgin Cellars, Herb Lamb Vineyards, Vineyard 29 and Staglin Family Vineyards.

‘Even if a producer or manufacturer hasn’t dealt first hand with a crisis caused by counterfeiting, its proliferation affects their ability to do business,’ said Robert Taylor, general manager, security solutions, Kodak’s Graphic Communications Group. ‘Consumer confidence is eroded each time a story about fake goods is published. More and more brand owners are recognizing that counterfeiting is a worldwide problem that needs to be immediately addressed by every business, in every market. The Kodak Traceless system makes it easy for wineries to protect their products from the scourge of counterfeiting and ensure their customers of the authenticity of their high value investments.’

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