You might have heard us talk about the LWIN Dictionary in the past. This week, we simply renamed it. It’s now the LWIN database. This reflects the fact that, following updates this year, it’s now an extremely comprehensive database of wine and spirits information – far more than a simple list of definitions.
In fact, we believe that it’s the largest and most accurate open-source database of wine information in the world. It contains detailed information on over 85,000 different wines and spirits. When their vintages are included in the count, the number is closer to half a million products.
Not bad for something that’s completely free to use (and always will be).
Let’s take a look inside.
Each wine inside the database has a list of product information. Sometimes, this is complex and highly detailed, with geographic data going all the way down to the parcel name.
For others, it’s a bit more straightforward.
Each wine also has an LWIN, a unique seven-digit code that can be used to share information electronically (and therefore quickly and accurately) throughout the supply chain.
Vintage, bottle and pack-size information can be appended to turn it into a 11, 16 or 18-digit code.
LWIN users tell us that it helps them to manage wine information inside their systems – and share it with others such as their logistics suppliers. It might not sound glamourous, but it’s working hard beneath the surface to keep things moving smoothly.
For those that are serious about keeping their data in shape, LWIN APIs are available as part of Liv-ex membership. These deliver LWIN information to you in real time. They also bring additional data points at vintage level, like vintage-accurate wine names.
Our ambition is that LWIN becomes universally adopted, which would make buying, selling and pricing easier for everyone. The publishing industry benefits from ISBN. Why shouldn’t wine have something similar?
That’s why we’re keeping it free to download – forever.
To see it for yourself, download the LWIN database using the form below. You can then use our handy guides to find out how to start using it. It’s easier than you might think.
