Snooth, now the world’s largest social wine database, has added a mobile component just in time for the boozy holiday season.
The new iPhone app uses location data to help you find prices and specific wines of interest (WOI?). Type in what you are looking for (i.e., “full-bodied white”, “red under $20,” Beaujolais for a light salad with raspberry vinaigrette”) plus your zip code, then Snooth will return matching wines are both in-stock and in your neighborhood. This could be especially handy en route to a holiday party if you find yourself empty-handed. It has a one-click feature either call the store or to get directions.
This reminds us of a mobile campaign from Visa Signature last year, which offered SMS wine pairing suggestions from Sonoma County vintners. However it was just a pilot program limited to San Francisco (of course) and was for a limited time only.
While the Snooth app can be used anywhere, anytime, the challenge will be to prompt people to remember it. (Visa had the advantage of in store signage.) That said, people are getting more trained to use their cell phone when seeking any kind of information. We also depend on technology–rather than brain cells– to save thoughts and store memories. This is where Snooth’s Wishlist feature comes in handy. You can tag bottles that sound appealing when you surf onlin, then access the list on mobile when you’re in a store.
There’s also a review and rate feature that you can use on the spot—at a wine bar, a restaurant, a holiday party—to take notes as you sip. Since iPhones have lost their pretensions, perhaps this can bring back some of those airs.
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