There are literally thousands of online apps created to help consumers pick the "right" wine - whatever that is exactly.
Looking for some help finding a wine on the go?
There's an app for that - and then some.
In fact, there's 2,021 apps alone on the iTunes stores under the search term for the word "wine" as of last count.
But trying to figure out which apps might actually help you decide between a bottle of wine on the menu or in a store can sometimes be just as confusing.
So which apps are worth it?
Or should you not even bother?
The first app that comes up when you search is Hello Vino - Wine Recommendations. This free app claims to give people "wine recommendations for meals, occasions, holidays and by taste preference. NO SNOBS ALLOWED!"
OK!!!!
I downloaded the app, which insists you don't have to know anything about wine to pick a wine. One of its functions allows you to simply enter the food you're eating and presto, the so-called "perfect" wine pops up. I entered a New York Strip steak. The app recommended four zinfandels. That sounds great in theory. But good luck EVER finding four exact wines recommended on most wine lists. Plus, the choices simply reinforce the old tried and true advice about what wine goes with what food. Expand your horizons. Try something radical.
The app also provides advice on what wines to buy for certain occasions. For your boss or co-worker, apparently Spanish riojas are all the rage. Whatever. Next....
Vivino Wine Scanner claims you can take a photo of "any wine and we'll automatically match it against our wine data base of more than 500,000 wines." Now that's something I'm all for! And best of all, this app is free.
Wine Spectator Wine Ratings is another great similar free app. You can find ratings for the thousands of wines the magazine reviews every two weeks. But if you want to get all the content from Wine Spectator, you'll have to pay $2.99 a month.
There's also apps that advertise being able to buy wine on your smartphone such as Lot 18. But be aware that strict laws exist that prohibit wine being shipped from one state to another. Plus as some reviews point out, the app doesn't allow customers to sort by price or vintage, a definite drawback.
Wine Notes allows users to do what the app sounds like: takes notes in an organized away about what you're drinking, instead of writing down your thoughts on a cocktail napkin as I've been known to do in the past. Here, you can mark down the exact region, choose from a series of exact tastes and even scan the barcode on the wine. A bit too high tech for a casual drink with friends perhaps, but great if you're at a wine tasting.
Wine Quick Picks sounds like something I might place a dollar on for a lifetime of riches. Instead, this app takes the mass market approach to wine. It list the top 100 widely available wines in stores and other top 25 lists updated each month. This might be good if you're in a rush and just want something reliable. But part of the fun of drinking wine is trying new, perhaps obscure ones you've never had before.
Wine.com has a great app similar to Wine Spectator's comprehensive list of reviews. Here, there's tasting notes on 45,000 different wines. But numerous users loudly complain about the app, which they insist cannot be linked to a user's online wine.com account.
Hugh Johnson's Wine Guide seems like it should be great app. This is from the company that produces the amazing, pocket-sized wine guides each year with a wealth of information about wineries around the world and specific vintages. But the app can sometimes be harder to navigate through and doesn't seem to have the same depth of information as the comprehensive books.
But don't worry. There's literally thousands of other apps to choose from. You just might need a sip of wine after you try sorting through all of them.