Receiving a bottle of wine from a loved one or friend always feels great. Yet, if you are honest, don’t you ever wonder how much they spent on that bottle?
Or you may have asked yourself the question: should I open this now? What if it’s an expensive bottle and you want to save it for a special occasion, or it could be the perfect bottle you could regift when you head to someone else’s house.
While it is generally considered impolite to check the price of a gift that someone has bought you, and that includes a bottle of wine brought to you by a guest, if you do want to satisfy your curiosity and check how much money someone spent on a bottle of vino for you, here are 5 great apps that can help you do it.
1. Wine-Searcher
iPhone: 4.8 stars (at time of publishing)
Android: 4.6 stars (at time of publishing)
Wine-Searcher is a great app that allows you to find, compare and buy wines. All you have to do is scan the label on a bottle of wine you’re looking at, and it will give you critic scores, prices, grape and region information, and where you can buy the wine. You can also type in the name of a bottle you’re thinking of and read all about it.
When it comes to purchasing a bottle, the app will give you stores nearest to you where you can buy at the best value or tell you how to buy online. You can even rate and review your favorite wine bottles. This app is available for both iPhone and Android devices.
2. Vivino
iPhone: 4.9 stars (at time of publishing)
Android: 4.7 stars (at time of publishing)
Vivino allows you to scan any wine label to see which wines to buy and which to leave on the shelf. You also can scan any wine list when you’re out at a restaurant to see the rating and review of each wine on the list so that you can pick the one you want to drink for the night.
The app will track and organize the wines you scan and rate, creating a fun chart to showcase your wine experiences. This will allow you to discover new wines and see how you rank against your friends and the Vivino community. This app is available for both iPhone and Android devices.
3. Delectable
iPhone: 4.7 stars (at time of publishing)
Android: 4.2 stars (at time of publishing)
With the Delectable app, you can follow top sommeliers, winemakers, and wine pros to make sure you are always buying the best wine. It allows you to buy wine right from your phone, and the best part is that the Delectable team will deliver the wine right to your doorstep.
All you have to do is take a photo of the wine bottle label, and within seconds, you will get reviews and tasting notes, all for free. This app is available for both iPhone and Android devices.
4. Hello Vino: Wine Assistant
iPhone: 4.6 stars (at time of publishing)
This app is currently only available for iPhone users and acts as your wine assistant. It will give you recommendations for food and wine pairings, special occasions, and personalized wine picks.
It gives you a question-and-answer interface to find the perfect bottle for you by using artificial intelligence to learn about your wine preferences. Plus, you can still use its wine bottle scanning feature and leave ratings and reviews for bottles you’ve tried.
5. Wine.com
iPhone: 4.8 stars (at time of publishing)
Android: 3.9 stars (at time of publishing)
Wine.com is the biggest online wine store out there and also includes a wide assortment of other spirits. You can browse all their options with their extensive filters and sorting features, as well as scan bottles you’re looking at to view the pricing, ratings, and tasting notes.
They also offer quick delivery services, or you can schedule a pickup from over 17,000 locations they offer throughout the country.
Plus, you can use the app’s Chat feature to speak with the experts at Wine.com if you’re having trouble choosing what to buy. This app is available for both iPhone and Android devices.
Now you can double-check how nice that bottle of wine is before that cork gets unscrewed for just any crowd, and while it’s generally true that the more is spent on a bottle of wine, the higher the quality will be, there are still some ways to find a good-tasting bottle of wine at a lower price point.
- First, you want to look for sales and discounts either on the apps we mentioned, online or in-store. Many wine retailers offer discounts on bulk purchases or on certain brands or types of wines.
- Also, try lesser-known or off-brand wines that can offer excellent quality at a lower price point.
- You may want to also go for older vintages of wine which can often be found at a lower price point than current vintages, or the other way around.
- Another tip is to look for wines from less popular regions or countries because they may be priced lower than those from more well-known regions.
- Ignore the label. Whether you get the fancy design and intricate label or the plane jane cover, the paper on the bottle won’t affect how your wine tastes. Remember, a good design does not indicate the taste or quality of the grapes.
Have you ever looked up the price of a bottle of wine that someone gave you? Let us know.
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