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What is VinoMatch?
VinoMatch is the very first wine search engine by flavors.
VinoMatch allows consumers to search wine based on tastes and aromas, in addition to traditional search criteria (vintage, region, etc.) We “Match” specific “Vino” (wine) to your personal taste preferences using an intuitive visual sensory rating system and gives you a clear idea of how a wine tastes before you purchase.
Why VinoMatch? (The Problem)
Research shows that 80% of consumers are confused. The information about a bottle of wine, whether on the label, a written review by experts or information on the web, all fail to describe clearly how one wine tastes or compares to another. Only wine experts, equipped with knowledge of terroir, fermentation process, bud break and food pairing are able to choose a bottle of wine that tastes right for any occasion with confidence. The vast majority of wine consumers are left feeling self-conscious when reading a restaurant wine list, browsing online or standing in a retail store, staring at a “Wall of Confusion”.
The VinoMatch Solution
 VinoMatch has developed the first online wine search engine catering to personal preferences in taste and aroma. VinoMatch enables wine consumers, without in-store personal assistance or strenuous wine education to easily and consistently identify wines they will enjoy and buy with confidence every time.
When people think about what food they’d like to enjoy, a certain taste comes to mind: savory, sweet, spicy, etc. Choosing a bottle of wine should be similar - as with food, it’s only natural that consumers get to savor the taste of wine in their mind first, to make the purchasing experience rewarding.
Our objective allows the consumer to virtually taste the wine before purchasing, eliminating the confusion so they get exactly what they want.
How It All Began
 It was Lunch time at our favorite bistro. Pierre and I were having our usual cheese plate and sandwiches, with wine.
Marc the owner asked what wine we’d like. We wanted to try something new.
Three hundred bottles and we did not have a clue.
I tried to explain what I’d wanted to experience. Keep in mind, TRY is the operative word. Somehow, Marc magically understood and was able to match us with the correct bottle of wine.
Marc was always successful. He had learned about our taste preferences as well as the simple terms we used to describe them.
I sat staring at this ‘wall of confusion’ wondering “How could I choose the right bottle of wine if Marc was not there?” Look at all these bottles… nicely organized by regions and varietals. Still I was so confused. Have you ever felt like that?
What if I wanted a dry but fruity wine, lively refreshing, not too powerful, with a smooth texture and with aromas of strawberries, spice and forest? How could I know which tastes the closest to my description?
I asked Marc. He replied: “There was no solution unless you were well educated about wines. For the large majority of wine buyers (80%), it was pretty much guesswork. I can tell you based on personal and professional experience. But hey, you have got me, so you are covered (laughs)!”
We had never realized, until that moment, how difficult it was for so many consumers to choose wine although it’s a product they enjoy. Consumers needed a “virtual” Marc.
We came to the conclusion nothing existed that could match specific wines with specific taste and aroma criteria. It was almost impossible. The wine industry did not use simple easy to understand sensory terms to explain how a wine tastes. Nothing was standardized to compare one bottle to another.
Pierre said: “It was time to end the confusion. Let’s build it”!
That was when VinoMatch was born…
Since VinoMatch conception our team has accomplished three key tasks.
- Created an intuitive visual code to explain how a wine tastes in simple terms people already use in their day to day lives
- Built a wine database that is searchable and comparable according to taste and aroma criteria
- Created tools to make the information available to users regardless of location
- Website - Working Prototype
- Mobile application - Windows platform (iphone, Android to follow)
- Wine lists - VinoMatch sponsored
- Bottle hangars/labels - VinoMatch sponsored
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