Directly tagging a bottle of wine is almost completely impractical. The liquid inside the bottle absorbs nearby RF and will diminish the read ranges of your tags dramatically. There are tags designed specifically for metal-mounted applications but few tags are designed around tagging liquid-filled containers. We recommend that you use a hang-tag for wine or other bottles of liquid.
Absorption
Liquids absorb RF so tags placed on a bottle of liquid have a very low read range. Hanging a tag from a bottle of wine can help reduce problems caused by liquids and give you a greater read range.
Placement
Placing RFID tags directly on a bottle of liquid is only functional at short ranges. Applying a hang tag to the bottle around the neck will ensure a reliable read range. Placing the bottle inside a cardboard, plastic or wood container will allow you to tag the container and give you the greatest read range. Be sure to keep your tags spaced away from the contained liquid.
Pro-Tips
Expected RFID Read Ranges
4"x1" Gen2 RFID - 1" minimum, 12" average when applied directly to a liquid-containing bottle.
4"x1" Gen2 RFID - 10' minimum, 20' average when applied to an exterior box or used as a hang tag around the neck of the bottle.
Expected Costs of RFID Tag
Costs for a blank RFID tag for glass bottles can range from $0.20 each to $0.30 each depending on the tag inlay and label material. Pre-programmed RFID tags range from $0.99 on quantity 1, to $0.59 for large quantities (5,000+).
What RFID tag sizes are there?
Sizes for a complete RFID label designed for tagging a wine bottle can be as small as 4"x3/4".
Tag Recommendations
The best tag to use for tagging bottles of wine is the NOX-1 4"x3/4" RFID tag. The NOX-1 includes a 4"x1" peel-off traveler label that can be placed on a document for record keeping.