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Kelowna-based app the ‘Spotify of wines’: CEO

TasteAdvisor app launches today making it easier to connect people with the right wine
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Kelowna is home to and nearby so many amazing wineries it can be really difficult to find the perfect match. Enter TasteAdvisor, a new locally-based wine app that launched on July 30.

This easy-to-use app—made right here in Kelowna—recommends local wine, wineries, tasting routes and events.

Think of it as your own personal tour guide to match you to a local wine experience custom-tailored to your taste buds and preferences.

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CEO and founder Alyssa Farr says this app is the Spotify for wines. TasteAdvisory, like the popular music app, will curate recommendations based on preferences and personal tastes.

Tasters, or the app’s users, log in and take a “Taste Test” to begin the journey to finding the perfect wine. The test considers factors like sweetness, flavours, wine body types and price points.

And with over 295 wineries and 3,000 wines to choose from on the app, finding the perfect wine may seem impossible. But it’s not, Farr said.

“Most people choose a wine based on a recommendation or something they’ve already bought and liked,” she said.

As tasters rank the wines they try on their profile, the in-depth algorithm narrows its recommendations to the perfectly-suited wines fit for any mood, situation or setting.

The app is just as beneficial for the wineries as it is for its users, Farr said. The app allows wineries to better connect clients with its products and other services it offers such as concert series, restaurant events and more.

And it’s free for businesses to use. Farr said she didn’t want to create any barriers for wineries.

“It’s not valuable for you and I if they’re not there,” she said, so the app allows wineries to include information and share the core wines at no cost.

As for the launch, Farr said she and her team are very excited about their new “app baby.”

“It’s pretty amazing to create something from nothing and put it out into the world,” she said. “I really wanted to make something and let people experience it in their own ways.”

The Kelowna-based team behind the scenes of TasteAdvisory consists of four people and Farr said they are a pretty dynamic quad. With backgrounds in academia including sensory research, entrepreneurship and business coaching, the team has come together to form a unique app to make local wines more accessible to locals and tourists alike.

The idea sparked three years ago, as the UBC Okanagan business management alumni became interested in involving herself in the growing tech sector in Kelowna. With B.C. already covered, Farr hopes to have the rest of Canada’s ever-growing wine represented on the app by summer’s end in 2020.

Since their beta testing, TasteAdvisor has already seen 150-plus people download the app and try it out first hand. Only a few hours after their launch this morning, Farr said more than 55 people downloaded the app.

“I feel a lot of pride and I don’t feel that very often,” Farr said. “I feel so grateful for this team that works with me and we’re very excited to become a meaningful contributor to this industry.”

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@caitleerach
Caitlin.clow@kelownacapnews.com

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