USQ Wines, you won me back...through technology

I'm a novice onephile. I have no interest in becoming and expert either. I do however appreciate wine with food and can take a decent stab at a pairing.

PBS interviewed me a few weeks ago for man-on-the-street commentary for their upcoming "Wine Makers" reality show. I hope they use my comments. I made the point that jargon is deliberately used to make people feel inadequate about wine. When people feel inadequate, they drop more money in attempt to bump their status as consumers.

Anyway, I started poking around other stores when USQ Wines moved a few blocks further from my office. I'm impressed by Bottle Rocket and was prepared to throw my bucks their way. However, USQ has the rad new Enomaticc wine serving system straight out of Tuscany. Give a name and email and they're create a free frequent sipper card for you on the spot. You start with 1,000 points and earn another 5 per buck spent.

A bit of wine from the two Enomatics ranges from 9 to 30 points. You get a real sense of the wines by putting them side by side, and it's a social atmosphere. I watched a bit of the World Cup while sipping a Malbec. Shopping behavior guru Paco Underhill is right. Create an experience and keep customers in the store longer and they'll spend more money.

One final thought: if you're in to documentaries, I strongly recommend Mondovino. There's a wealth of information in it about the economics and heritage of wine, and a reinforcement of the lesson that good branding often doesn't mean best product.

Tags: wine, union square