Just launched in New Zealand, WineFriend is a new concept online retailer that looks to offer a completely customised way to buy wine. Customers can create their own profiles by answering an eightquestion taste survey and adding details such as price, frequency of delivery and combination of red and white wines that suits them best.
Each month, WineFriend would then pick six bottles and deliver them at a reasonable price, matching the clients’ preferences in terms of sweet, sour, bitterness and intensity of flavour. Selections can be fine-tuned based on individual ratings, ensuring better matches over time.
The service is a brainchild of wine industry veteran Debbie Sutton and Thirsty Work presenter Yvonne Lorkin. Sutton explained that this bespoke solution could ease customers from the stress of finding the perfect wine, doing all the hard work on their behalf. “If 85 percent of people are buying their wine in the supermarket, much of it on promotion, then the traditional model of buying wine is broken. It’s time for a shake up,” Lorkin said, adding that services like Airbnb and Uber were a source of inspiration.
There are currently three levels of subscriptions: Easy Everyday ($99), Treat Yourself ($149) and Icons and Innovator ($249). For more information, visit www.winefriend. co.nz.
PR for Winefriend executives
