Makers story

Margerum Finds the Ultimate Solution for Remote Winery Management

Margerum Wine Company is a Santa Barbara-based winery founded by Doug Margerum in 2001. Doug’s unique background with retail wine sales, as the sommelier/owner of a Grand Award restaurant, and as a winemaker has made him sought out by various wineries to assist in forming their brands.

Margerum Wine Company produces small-batch, handcrafted wines from high-quality grapes in Santa Barbara County. The company strives to make wines naturally, paying meticulous attention to detail, and creating wines with unique character and personality.

The Challenge

Before InnoVint, the Margerum Wine Company team relied on spreadsheets to track the winery’s operations. However, as their business grew and they hit a certain size, it became clear that they needed a more sophisticated solution.

“We make wines in the vein of the old school. We have an artistic and artisanal approach to winemaking in many ways. However, once you hit a higher velocity, using spreadsheets becomes almost impossible,” shares Robert Daugherty, Winemaker at Margerum.

The Journey to Remote Winery Management

During the pandemic, the owner and proprietor, Doug Margerum, sought to improve the company technologically. Being heavily involved in the winemaking process, Doug wanted to find a solution that would allow him to monitor operations at the winery from a remote location.

Doug and his team researched various winery management software programs and ultimately decided on InnoVint. As someone very involved in the day-to-day operations of the winery, InnoVint proved to be a valuable tool for Doug allowing him to keep tabs on everything happening at the winery while working from home and out selling the wine.

Most desirable functionality / Initial pain points:
  • Hitting the limit of the value spreadsheets can provide for winemaking as the business grows
  • The risk of valuable information slipping through the cracks potentially leading to poor data quality and errors in decision-making due to the limited capabilities of spreadsheets alone.
  • Access to real-time data while working remotely to keep operations running smoothly.
Value Realized:
  • Real-time data, even on a mobile device provides access to critical information anytime, anywhere
  • The streamlined reporting process saves time and increases efficiency
  • Quickly achieving power user status and great value from the platform because of InnoVint’s proactive and experienced team. As Winemaker Robert Daugherty puts it:

“The client success team has been so helpful, and always has a lot of excellent suggestions on InnoVint functions that we can use to help streamline processes.”

After InnoVint

Accurate Data and Time Saved

The implementation of InnoVint at Margerum Wine Company has allowed the owner to remotely monitor and access information about the winery’s operations without having to directly communicate with staff, removing them from their daily focus.

The software has provided easy access to necessary data and saved time for everyone involved. The team is also excited to use additional InnoVint features this year like the 3D Tank Maps to get a bird’s eye view and quickly see what’s happening with real-time analysis.

The InnoVint Mobile App – Winemaking Tool in Your Back Pocket

The InnoVint mobile app has also become a valuable tool for the team, allowing them to quickly access specific information about batches, such as pH and TA levels. Necessary data, especially historical data, is only a few clicks away.

“The InnoVint mobile application is top-notch. The ability to scan QR codes and look at analysis and information on the fly is huge. The app works well and keeps everything organized even without an internet connection,” Robert Daugherty shares.

Another valuable feature to the Margerum team is taking and logging tasting notes in real-time, allowing for quick and accurate tasting notes and references. Robert continues:

“We don’t have to lug around a notebook and pen while tasting in the barrel room. Doug just pulls out his phone and starts logging the tasting notes right there from the InnoVint app. The real-time access allows us to take tasting notes and log them immediately, which is way better than transcribing notes into Microsoft Word files and emailing them later. InnoVint is transcribing everything in real-time, saving us time and effort.”

Innovint-mobile-app

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