Wine tastings, smart cards included

Automated wine tasting bars allow patrons to hang out, buy by the glass, and try before they buy the bottle. Will advertising become TRYVERTISING?

If traditional mass advertising is dead (RIP), will consumers return to good old word of mouth, focusing on the best of the best, even wanting to try out stuff before they buy? Our sister-site defined the trend as tryvertising. Here are two examples of entrepreneurs practising what others preach: Swedish Vinotek and San Francisco based VinoVenue. Both combine the concepts of a wine tasting bar and a dispensing machine (call them wine jukeboxes) in a cool setting, enticing consumers to buy a chargeable smart card which will give them access to dozens of bottles of wine including elaborate information. The machines dispense a glass of the chosen wine for a couple of bucks/euros. It’s all about choice and trying before you buy: VinoVenue’s automated wine stations offer more than 100 wines from around the world, all available per glass and bottle. Smart cards are not only used for payment, they also track which wines have been tasted, facilitating future purchasing decisions.

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