The future’s already here – you just didn’t realise it

It’s not every day that you can taste the most recent vintages while watching the current one in action – certainly not in London. Yet that was the unique prospect awaiting those who attended this year’s Boutique Wineries Tasting. The event was dominated by a giant screen, featuring a live feed from a Portuguese vineyard where the harvest was in full swing. The message was implicit: at the wine tastings of tomorrow, buyers and journalists won’t merely have to content themselves with tasting the product. They can interact with those who are working with the grapes.