The 4 Best iPhone Apps For Wine In 2013

Wine related iPhone Apps seem to be multiplying by the day, some of them are basically the same applications dressed up, while others are truly ground breaking.  My favorites are the one’s which give us a little something extra that we can’t get on the internet, over an email list or simply by asking a store employee.

Vivino

It’s a basic problem that we all have, standing in a store staring at a row of wines and wondering what’s a good wine and what’s a good deal.  Additionally, few of us really want to spend an inordinate amount of time talking to an employee of the store, if one is even available.  Vivino solves a lot of those problems by searching for a wine based on a picture that you take of the label (they use a matching program since every label has to be approved by Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms).  There are a couple of downsides though, namely that you can’t save your own wines or past searches and the app is not yet available on Ipad.

Taste of Napa

Unlike other apps that we see coming across, Taste of Napa is true to its roots.  Focused solely on California’s historic Napa Valley, Taste of Napa features insider rich guides on wineries, hotels and restaurants within Napa Valley.  It’s a must download for anyone visiting Napa Valley, especially since the app is updated almost in real time.  After all, the people making the app live and work in Napa and the area is (contrary to most popular belief) small enough to be able to be studied very closely on a weekly basis.  If you use Taste of Napa for your next trip, you won’t miss a single restaurant or winery opening.

Wines Till Sold Out

An early entry into the flash sale style of wine marketing, Wines Till Sold Out has overtaken Groupon to lead the category in discounted wine.  Frankly, they’ve been able to do that because they feature better wines and wineries than do their flash sale competitors.  If you’re someone who enjoys being part of an email list, this is kind of the next step forward because of the sheer volume of information that you receive.

Meet Swirl It

At it’s most basic, it champions the belief that location matters when you’re trying to buy things, especially alcohol since alcohol is so tightly controlled.  While many apps might suggest a bevy of wines that you can’t buy locally because of the complex shipping laws at play, Meet Swirl It fixes that issue by only showing you wines to try that actually are locally available.  In the longer term, the really exciting part of this app is that it can, eventually bring people together for private tastings in public spaces.  If you want to try two wines but only want to buy one, wouldn’t it be nice to know the guy next to you in the store is looking to do the same thing?

About Author: Mark Aselstine is the owner of Uncorked Ventures. UCV was recently named one of the best wine clubs according to Forbes Magazine, which made Mark think releasing an app of his own might make sense. Then he noticed the wide variety of choices and decided that letting the professionals handle the app creation might be a better use of his time.