Even the iSommelier Can’t Share… Yet
The New York Times had a great piece about a new use for the iPad: wine lists. Restaurants are ditching the leather-bound tome and handing patrons an iPad loaded with software that serves up the wine list. The easy-to-use app allows patrons to search by name, region, grape and price.
The patrons love to use a new gadget, and the restaurants love what it’s doing to sales. Anecdotal (and self-reported) evidence suggests that non-wine drinkers are more inclined to consider a wine purchase once they use the iPad wine list, and those who normally do order wine are buying more expensive bottles.
Some versions even come with wine reviews by noted critic Robert M. Parker Jr., which provides an objective view of each selection and lets patrons trust someone other than the sommelier for an opinion.
However, what these apps don’t seem to have is either a social media or user-generated content element. How great would it be to mention the wine you are drinking on a foursquare check-in? Or have the option of reading user reviews and adding your own opinion about a wine after you have enjoyed a bottle? I hope that version 2.0 of these “iWine Lists” invites diners to not just consume information but also share their opinions with others.
