Having worked at Microsoft previously myself, Eric Levine's CellarTracker sparked my interest, and so I did a bit more research. As it turns out, I believe this is one of the best wine review sites I have come across. Here are three reasons why:
1) Huge database: what started as the side project of a former Microsoft engineer now hosts data on more than 2.3 million bottles of wine, with over 470K users. If we believe that large sample sizes lead to the true mean (or review), this is not a bad start.
2) Reviews from both pros and consumers: CellarTracker integrates professional ratings from sources like The Pinot Report. This is complemented by popular reviews from fellow users, who contribute thoughtful notes and provide the opportunity to connect with people who share similar tastes.
1) Huge database: what started as the side project of a former Microsoft engineer now hosts data on more than 2.3 million bottles of wine, with over 470K users. If we believe that large sample sizes lead to the true mean (or review), this is not a bad start.
2) Reviews from both pros and consumers: CellarTracker integrates professional ratings from sources like The Pinot Report. This is complemented by popular reviews from fellow users, who contribute thoughtful notes and provide the opportunity to connect with people who share similar tastes.
3) Unbiased source: Because CellarTracker runs on suggested donations, it does not depend on affiliate kickbacks from retails like other wine review tools do. This means reviews are more likely to be honest and suggested purchase sources to be unbiased. In fact, CellarTracker refers users directly to Wine Searcher for price comparison.
In sum, I applaud Mr. Levine for introducing this useful, unbiased tool to the wine world. Now, if only the UX could be most user-friendly...
I also spent a bit of time after class poking around CellarTracker and saw they recently launched a mobile app. Naturally, I downloaded it, and here are a few thoughts:
ReplyDeleteNot surprisingly, the UX isn't awesome. That said, it offers quite a bit more functionality than I expected. You can, of course, keep track of your cellar (or, in my case, a basket under my bed), search for specific wines, browses tasting notes, write your own tasting notes, and (obviously) make a donation.
The unexpected: like Vivino, it allows you to scan either a bottle's barcode or label to quickly log it into your cellar or read tasting notes. You can also curate a "wish list" and explore CT's suggested food pairings. And you can subscribe to and view a variety of online wine reviews (Antonio Galloni's (who now owns Delectable) Vinous, for instance).
Interestingly, you cannot buy through the app (or the website, for that matter). The "where to buy" button redirects you to winesearcher.com, which I found a bit surprising. Seems like CT would want to keep users in their app, especially when winesearcher.com's own app offers many similar features / services.
My last qualm with the app (and the website) is that I cannot, for the life of me, find an average price listed anywhere. Am I missing something? Or maybe I, a price-conscious law student, am not CT's target demographic. That is, maybe the average user (possibly with a wine cellar?) cares a heck of a lot less than I do about a bottle's price.
Eric's goal has been to remain all about the reviews/not the commercial or commerce side of wine- hence the lack of pricing- which is also hard to normalize depending on where/through which channel the wine was consumed...
DeleteTierney & Christina, I (serendipitous) downloaded CellarTracker 2 weeks ago after returning from wine country with some prized purchases. I simply browsed Android"s (yes, I know, I'm a dinosaur) Google Playstore searching for a mobile app I could log my wine "collection" details into and build upon for the future. I only have (well, *had*) 18 bottles of the elixir we are studying in earnest in G356, so it only took me about 15 minutes to scan or search all the bottles (the barcode reader worked for all of my domestic wines and a handful of my New Zealand wines). It's no wine "cellar," per se, but I figure I gotta start somewhere!
ReplyDeleteWhat I was hoping for, Tierney, is that it would help me track the value of my "collection" as well, but no prices were available. There is a data field for me to enter the price I paid, but I wasn't looking (at the moment) to begin my excel inventory management system complete with cost basis...
Overall, I will still be using Vivino to aid in my discover of wine facts and features due to the relatively more pleasing and useful UI and informational content (generally better UX design). BUT, my favorite feature for WineTracker was the "Drink DATE" functionality that populated for most of my wines which gives a calendar year range for when my wine might be best enjoyed! This informed my wine selection for that evening's dinner with friends, it was time to pop that Castello di Amorosa, Alexander Valley Pinot Noir acquired ~2 years ago before it's past its prime!
See above re: valuing your collection via CellarTracker/why not implemented.
DeleteMy Dad uses cellar tracker, and, I agree that it's pretty awesome. Although, as mentioned in class, the UI is terrible. My dad mainly uses it for tracking the age of wine and understanding when he should drink particular wines. Seeing reviews about what age is best for the wine to be consumed helps novice winos manage a cellar effectively.
ReplyDelete