Tesco is launching the world’s first Visual Search™ Apple iPhone App, developed by Cortexica Vision Systems. The Tesco Wine App makes learning about wine an interactive and approachable process using two tools; the image recognition system and the discover function.

‘All you need to do is take a picture of any wine bottle label from your iPhone and if it is one of the 1,000 that Tesco Wine by the Case stocks you’ll see all the tasting notes and information about that wine, including the guide price,’ explains Laura Wade-Gery, Tesco.com CEO.

‘We hope this will democratise and demystify wine know-how by making information much more accessible. But we’re advising using the App cautiously if you’re at a dinner party – exercise good manners and discretion at all times. Tesco Wine by the case sells some wonderful, award-winning wines that are great value, so you wouldn’t want to embarrass your hosts by announcing the price tag.’

The unique vision system is able to recognise a wine label in the same way as the human eye, even if it is partially covered with a finger, is tilted or under difficult lighting conditions such as candlelight.

The Tesco Wine App also features a discover button which can help the user select a wine from wide choice available. Parameters can be set including colour, menu, budget or preferred country of origin, and simple tap or shake of the phone starts the search process accompanied by the satisfying glug-glug sound of wine being gently poured from a bottle. Results are delivered in seconds and will help customers to be confident about buying wines they haven’t tried before.

The Wine App will direct the user through to Tesco Wine by the case so that customers can buy their selection direct from their mobile phone – perfect for stocking up for seasonal entertaining.
For customers without iPhones, Tesco is trialling a new food and wine matching service on Twitter to help customers with their entertaining through the festive season. Customers are able to tweet their food matching requirements to @tescowines on the digital media site, Twitter; they will then receive a recommended wine match picked by a team of wine experts. The trial will run until Christmas Eve, and is open 8am – 6pm Monday to Friday, with a view to make it a permanent fixture next year.
In addition, Twitter followers of @tescowines will receive news of special offers, new products and exciting deals exclusive to Tesco Wine by the Case.

_________________
mel

Lordy, lordy.

I've often wondered about quick-dried wine (like coffee and soup). Just add 75cl of water and Bob's yer uncle. Would save all that carrying around.

Due to be getting an iPhone in the very foreseeable... sounds interesting.

Heard that Tesco mobile are due to be releasing it too - mmay be a coincidence

QO iphone app would be a beaut... something to think about marketing Mel

God help the independant wine merchant

God help the boutique wines and small and interesting growers who can't stock half the world and warehouses the size of plane hangers.

Shez - I'm not knocking the iphone, my youngest has one for business for quite a long time now - But - (actually she shows me loads of new stuff, before we sit down to family dinner)

From this day forward, I shall be sure serve wines to someone with the iphone Tesco application, ones that I know it will fail with

It's a new buying pleasure that I shall probably never quite get the iphone buz for.

_________________
Duncan

Not for me.

I started filling out an on-line survey form recently. A few questions in was "What make of mobile 'phone do you have?" There was no option of "none".

The Tesco Wine App also features a discover button which can help the user select a wine from wide choice available. Parameters can be set including colour, menu, budget or preferred country of origin, and simple tap or shake of the phone starts the search process accompanied by the satisfying glug-glug sound of wine being gently poured from a bottle. Results are delivered in seconds and will help customers to be confident about buying wines they haven’t tried before.

Blah blah blah.....Tesco do sell some very good wine but they also sell complete crap that is wholly unsuitable for dinner parties. It will be interesting to see whether or not Tesco themselves can differentiate between the two.

I got my first contract phone this year, cheap as cheaps, includes more calls & texts than I could possibly use. I keep it for emergencies, my wife has the same.

As far as I can see, Tesco are taking a step backwards and de-listing many of the new lines they introduced two years ago.

I guess the average Tesco customer know their £3.99 wine.

True. But I think that's in store only. Online they still stock many of the old fine wines along with many new ones. Did you see Dunc's link.

Also the Cardiff stores still have their fine wine shelves. I guess that will be the same throughout the UK. Tesco dumbing down away from the city centres but still supplying the city boys with their De Ladocette PF and Laroche 1st Cru Chablis.

Tesco Finest for the rest of us.