Internet technologies are changing every aspect of life and commerce in industrialized societies. While the wine industry is often slower to adopt new technologies than some, wineries, wine retailers, and wine consumers are all benefiting from the creative application of technology, whether that’s through easier ways to buy, sell, learn about, or market wine.
As critical as I can be of some of these applications of technology, I’m convinced that the wine industry (or the world, for that matter) will never be the same.
There are a lot of wine tasting events out there that afford wine lovers the opportunity to taste wines of a particular type or from a particular region. There is only one event, however, dedicated to showcasing the wines and the wine technology that are pushing the envelope in the wine world.
Wine 2.0 started as a small group of entrepreneurs in San Francisco who found themselves at the nexus of wine and the latest internet technologies, and has grown to encompass a large number of start-ups, wineries, technology users, and wine drinkers. What began as a small get together in San Francisco has become something of a major social happening.
The next such happening is scheduled for Thursday, September 18th at Webster Hall in New York City. Starting at 7:00 PM and lasting through the night until 4:00 AM, the event will feature a tasting of more than 100 wines from participating vintners, showcases of technology from various web start-ups, and a live episode of the inimitable Wine Library TV, hosted by Gary Vaynerchuk himself.
Having attended several of these events (full disclosure: I’m on the Board of Wine 2.0) I can say that they’re an opportunity to drink some good wine, meet interesting young wine lovers, and get a peek at what passes for an Internet Bubble in the wine industry. This New York event seems to have the additional potential to simply be a rocking party at some point during the evening.
Wine 2.0 Expo
Thursday September 18th
7:00 PM to 11:00 PM, after party from 11:00 PM to 4:00 AM
Webster Hall
125 E 11th Street
New York, NY 10003
Tickets are $45 in advance and $75 at the door, so order yours online sometime soon.
