Anyone who owns an iPhone knows that it's become increasingly difficult to navigate the iTunes App Store, sifting through a maze of mundane apps with hopes of uncovering an authentic gem created to actually make your life easier.
I was genuinely excited to sit down with budding developer and former wine distributor Dana Jackson, to discuss his debut app release which I found to be a rare treat for those who appreciate the art of the find when it comes to discovering new wines. The app takes users on a personal tour of Oregon's Willamette Valley wine region. A tour of wineries that Jackson has hand-tooled to his own specifications.In sharp contrast to many iPhone travel apps, the Willamette Valley ($4.99) travel guide doesn't rely on scraping data from various websites that anyone with minor search engine skills could easily access online. Every photo, tour map and written review were created and poured over by Jackson himself. Offering up well thought out insights into the Willamette wine region.
"Doing this wine app has come from years of visiting the wine regions throughout the world for the most part, but doing it as a consumer," Jackson told the iPhone Savior.
"I'm not doing this as somebody who's pretending it's nuclear science when talking about wine, but somebody who loves wine and loves the nature of it and loves the history of each of location."
While the app focuses on discovering exceptional young wineries that often slide under the radar for most, you'll also find credible tips on restaurants, bars, hotels and unique cultural finds in the immediate area. The inclusion of "My Perfect Days" lays out four complete days of recommendations created to take users on a guided adventure from breakfast through dinner. It's much like having a personal concierge in the palm of your hand.
A slick clickwheel navigator floats at the bottom of the screen, allowing fast back and forth access to all of the reviews and winery destinations. The app even includes offline maps aimed at keeping your wine tour on track without needing to be totally dependent on iPhone connectivity.
One of the app's clever highlights is the Most Overrated - Usual Suspects section where Jackson offers users fair warning about wineries, restaurants and lodging that he considers ho hum tourist traps. Money pits that most of us are drawn to like mindless lemmings simply because we don't know any better.
"For us it's about discovery, it's about the joy of the find and the uniqueness of it," Jackson said, "There's a lot of stuff we're just not gonna bother with if it's the usual crap. It needs to have some unique factor or something you need to see to believe it."
Jackson has bet the farm on his first wine hunting excursion launched for iPhone, hoping that even the most casual wine lovers can use his app to navigate well traveled wine regions like a seasoned connoisseur. His plans include the release of a Yakima Valley wine region guide expected to hit the App Store near the end of November, followed up by his Napa and Sonoma travel guide in early 2010.
With each future release, Mr. Jackson intends to include video interviews featuring up and coming winemakers. Offering iPhoners an intimate connection to the future rock stars of America's prized juices.
The idea of an iPhone app that reveals a personal story and guides the user through a unique experience is a compelling concept that could easily become the new hotness for discerning buyers who require more substance and less gas from their apps. Dana Jackson is banking on that trend maturing sooner than later, hoping his thoughtful insights on wining, dining and travel will become the vintage of choice for savvy iPhone users who share a nose for quality.
A slick clickwheel navigator floats at the bottom of the screen, allowing fast back and forth access to all of the reviews and winery destinations. The app even includes offline maps aimed at keeping your wine tour on track without needing to be totally dependent on iPhone connectivity.
One of the app's clever highlights is the Most Overrated - Usual Suspects section where Jackson offers users fair warning about wineries, restaurants and lodging that he considers ho hum tourist traps. Money pits that most of us are drawn to like mindless lemmings simply because we don't know any better.
"For us it's about discovery, it's about the joy of the find and the uniqueness of it," Jackson said, "There's a lot of stuff we're just not gonna bother with if it's the usual crap. It needs to have some unique factor or something you need to see to believe it."
Jackson has bet the farm on his first wine hunting excursion launched for iPhone, hoping that even the most casual wine lovers can use his app to navigate well traveled wine regions like a seasoned connoisseur. His plans include the release of a Yakima Valley wine region guide expected to hit the App Store near the end of November, followed up by his Napa and Sonoma travel guide in early 2010.
With each future release, Mr. Jackson intends to include video interviews featuring up and coming winemakers. Offering iPhoners an intimate connection to the future rock stars of America's prized juices.
The idea of an iPhone app that reveals a personal story and guides the user through a unique experience is a compelling concept that could easily become the new hotness for discerning buyers who require more substance and less gas from their apps. Dana Jackson is banking on that trend maturing sooner than later, hoping his thoughtful insights on wining, dining and travel will become the vintage of choice for savvy iPhone users who share a nose for quality.
"We all like data and everybody wants to know the rating points for a wine when they're in the grocery store," Jackson said, "But our app is about an experience. Let's go on an adventure. It's a road trip! That's the differentiator for us."
This seems a bit unnecessary considering all the free resources available on the internet and iPhone. Surely the provider of this iPhone app is receiving compensation from those that are featured in the stories. How can this be objective?
Posted by: Wine Concierge | May 01, 2010 at 11:40 AM
I think the idea of an iPhone app that reveals a personal story and guides the user through a unique experience is a compelling concept that could easily become the new hotness for discerning buyers who require more substance and less gas from their apps.
Posted by: Personal Concierge | January 11, 2010 at 02:17 AM