London-based wine community Crurated has recently entered the metaverse, providing a digital space for wine enthusiasts to engage with world-class producers.
The company unveiled its plans in a recent press release, highlighting an immersive digital experience built on Unreal Engine 5.
This metaverse venture aims to deepen the engagement of wine aficionados, allowing them to interact with vineyard owners and explore fine wine collections virtually.
Set to debut this spring, the virtual reality (VR) journey will kick off with a virtual cellar experience, enabling owners to showcase their wine bottles, expand their knowledge, and virtually guide guests through their prized wine collections.
Users can access the Crurated website and enter this virtual space using their VR headsets, with anticipated support for Vision Pro headsets for Apple users by the end of the year.
The development of Crurated’s metaverse is ongoing, with plans to enhance features and expand its immersive capabilities.
This initiative aligns with Crurated’s broader engagement in the Web3 space. Notably, in March 2022, the platform hosted the “All Heart Auction,” an online event aimed at auctioning rare wines to support humanitarian efforts for the Ukrainian people. Each purchase was accompanied by a non-fungible token (NFT) to authenticate ownership and bottle provenance.
In April 2022, Crurated secured €3 million in funding to bolster its platform by leveraging blockchain and NFT technologies.
These technological advancements address longstanding industry challenges, such as counterfeiting and authenticity concerns.
The integration of NFTs in the beverage sector holds promise for providing transparency and building consumer trust. Plus, beyond authentication, NFTs can also serve as incentives for buyers and foster loyalty programs, thereby strengthening consumer-brand relationships.
Industry analysts anticipate significant growth in the global food and beverage NFT market, with projections exceeding $2 billion by 2032, according to a report by Research and Markets.
