Winemakers getting hi-tech(1)
We both have a deep and abiding love and respect for the English language.
We may not always speak it as well as we could, or indeed write as well as we could, but we appreciate the language and its idiosyncrasies.
Then along came texting – and a bevy of broadcasters who cannot differentiate between "flower" and "flour" when speaking. We will never come to terms with the demise of reasonable pronunciation, but in a fast-moving world, we have had to accept the demise of vowels if we are to send a text in good time.
Now it appears that a phone with the ability to text, take photos, play games and download music isn't enough.
To get the most out of a wine you need a smartphone, so you can experience applications, or apps. Talk about truncated English.
Wine companies are working hard to keep up with the increasingly hi-tech world they operate in.
In an innovative move, Brancott Estate has launched a new smartphone app which delivers 14 consumer experiences – tying in with Brancott Estate's "stay curious" campaign and the phrase "the world's most curious bottle".
The "curious" among us can scan the quick response code on the back of a Brancott Estate bottle and download the World's Most Curious Bottle app on their smartphone. If you don't have a smartphone, some smartypants nearby can do it for you.
Once the download is done you can interact directly with the Brancott Estate bottle. Once upon a time, such interaction simply meant drinking the contents.
All of which brings us to this: while an app with its wine specific content and entertainment is a great bonus, especially for younger people who seem to have time on their hands to fiddle about with their hi-tech toys, at the end of the day it's what's in the bottle that really counts. All the apps in the world won't replace the joy of a truly memorable glass of wine, although for some an app might enhance it.
