So we’re in the final stages of development on the Uncork Ontario app. We’ve been keeping it quiet as we’ve been developing it, but now that we’re close to release and collecting info from various Ontario wineries, it’s time to come out of stealth mode.
The idea for the app came out of a trip to PEC, where my wife Debbie and I realized that many of the small, family-operated wineries were not listed on the various marketing maps put out by different organizations (I still have the map with “X”s drawn on it by Bruno from @TheOldThird pointing us to other small vineyards he recommended). Sometimes they were too new and missed the printing, other times they couldn’t afford the fees associated with these organizations.
As it has gotten easier to develop applications and offer them directly to the consumer, I set off with a friend to develop an iPhone/iPod application that we intend to provide FREE through Apple. It will list every winery that I can find info on in the province, and provide salient details like operating hours, directions, and contact info. There’s also a small photo gallery for each, and I am building some custom Routes that should appeal to a variety of tastes and interests.
There’s also no fee for wineries to get listed. I see this as our gift to the Ontario wine industry, that little something that I could do to help lift the industry as a whole, and get more people exploring the great wine regions of Ontario. If you are a winery in Ontario and have not heard from us yet (we are contacting all of you), feel free to ping us at the contact info below or leave a comment.
I’d like to eventually get it onto Blackberry and Android mobiles as well but we’ll have to see how it goes on Apple to start. I also have some more ideas and would like to progress the functionality, so stay tuned.
Shawn
Email: shawn@UncorkOntario.com
Twitter: @UncorkOntario