Sometimes you need to know more about the bottle of wine in front of you than the back label tells you. You can Google it of course but there are now tools that should get you the information you need even quicker. I’ve mentioned Smart Bordeaux before. It’s the official Bordeaux ‘wine finder’ app; I often ask students to download it in class and it keeps me on my toes as they all rush to identify and get information about the wine we are tasting before me!
It’s been around for several years now but each year more Chateaux add in and update their details. There are now some 15 000 châteaux and Bordeaux brands in the database. You can scan a wine label or type in a Chateau name and the database should find the wine and tell you all about it and the property it comes from. It is now available in 13 languages and there have been about 23 000 downloads on iPhone and iPad in 71 countries.
Bordeaux is all over the web. Bordeaux.com is the Bordeaux Wine encyclopaedia with users from France, the US, UK, Germany, China, Japan and Korea and you will also find Bordeaux on the 4 Bordeaux Facebook pages with over 85 000 fans and the 3 twitter accounts with over 8 300 followers. If you prefer visuals, there’s youtube.com/WineBordeaux, flickr.com/photos/vinbordeaux and vimeo.com/photos/bordeauxwine.
If you are in Bordeaux, there is also the Bordeaux Wine Trip app. This will help you discover Bordeaux and share your thoughts about your visit. Not quite as good as a private guide but helpful if you are lost amongst the vineyards and looking for a specific property, a tasting or a good lunch.
The real geeks can take on-line interaction a step closer to the world of wine by playing Château Academy. Should you be thinking about investing in the wine industry or are a wannabe wine maker, you can test your virtual skills here. The game designed for smart phones and tablets will allow you to invest in and build a winery, try and make a vintage managing staff, supplies, marketing and sales. Success is measured by profit but also the prestige of your wine. The idea is to help prospective employees get a better understanding of the different trades involved in the wine industry. There is also an online job search section for those who manage to make the grade!