While not always the right time, I find every time is the wine time. So it goes without saying that I could use a little help keeping track of those vinos that I’ve enjoyed more than others. As the corkscrew curls, turns out there’s been a great tool for this job for some time, a tool that continues to get better: Vivino.
Vivino is an application that turns smartphone pictures of wine labels into personal wine libraries and sommeliers. Image recognition technology matches photographs of labels to a database, pulling up loads of useful information.
Red, White & Pink
Find out where a wine is from, more importantly, where you can buy it. Access the inventory of nearby stores to see if the bottle is available. Compare your impressions of a wine with global rankings. Sure, Vivino wine app connects consumers to a great deal of practical information – grapes, wine region, statistics, etc. Vivino makes it easier to purchase wines that you’re more likely to enjoy. To my nose, it’s bouquet is most enchanting as a quick and useful memory tool.
I have yet to meet a wine lover who hasn’t struggled at least a dozen times to remember the name of a great wine recently tried, or who hasn’t looked at a vaguely familiar label and asked, “Haven’t we tried this?” and “Did we like it?” Vivino offers a great memory aid. You can store wine notes, quick rating, or simply maintain a record of the wines you’ve downed and liked or disliked – all fizzing back into focus as delightfully as fresh popped champagne with one camera click.
Some Apps Are Better With Age
Vivino started out fours years ago. The premise has largely remained the same. The application has stayed with what works and steadily improved. Investors agree. Recently the company cellared $10.3 million in funding, led by Balderton Capital. The Copenhagen-based startup will use the capital to continue enhancing technology, grow the database, and add users.
Already the optical recognition technology matches labels with near 86 percent accuracy. Vivino has racked close to a million and a half bottles in its inventory. New social reach will allow friends to share what they’re drinking, access reviews and more.
Regardless if you’re an expert or an overwhelmed newcomer, Vivino can lend a hand. And eager entrepreneurs take note: some startups take time to fully mature. People need time to develop their palates and become comfortable with new gadgetry flavors. Patience, persistence, proper care, and that time may come.
How’s your startup drinking this summer?
