iWine

Don't be surprised if the next time you go to a restaurant the sommelier hands you an iPad.

From the NYT...

At Bone’s, Atlanta’s most venerable steakhouse, a clubby place of oak paneling and white tablecloths, the gold-jacketed waiters now greet diners by handing them an iPad. It is loaded with the restaurant’s extensive wine list, holding detailed descriptions and ratings of 1,350 labels.

Since their debut, the gadgets have enthralled the (mostly male) customers. And to the astonishment of the restaurant’s owners, wine purchases shot up overnight — they were nearly 11 percent higher per diner in the first two weeks compared with the previous three weeks, with no obvious alternative explanation.

The devices seem to be spurring deeper interest in wine and empowering bolder, more confident selections, they say, potentially revolutionizing the psychology of dining’s most intimidating passage. “It’s fabulous to be able to understand not just the prices but the flavors and the nose and the winemaker’s comments,” Mr. Burns said. “The technology allows you to do a heck of a lot more with a wine list than we ever have before.”