It’s a great way to see what others are thinking about the wine you take a picture of.
I do understand that there are a lot of folks rendering opinions that may not have the palette of some more discerning wine aficionado’s …but there are also a lot of knowledgeable folks there.
I occasionally review a wine and when I am in a place and see something that interests me, I take a picture of it in Vivino.
Also, you can get some good deals like Last Bottle.
Recently bought 4 bottles of Prieure-Lichine 2015 from Vivino vendors.
49.99 each delivered.
Picked up Wednesday.
It’s in my quiver of wine apps but behind almost all of them save Delectable - I never use Delectable. I don’t reach for it like I reach for CellarTracker (CT), Wine-Searcher Pro (WSP) and Instagram. Those three I use frequently.
The workflow of: see bottle → curious what other people think → I like it so where can I get it is pretty seamless on Vivino but I find the app gets in my way. It’s too intent on getting me through that path; I am more likely to browse a bit: (what else do they make? What about vintage variation? Is there something better I should try?). I find asking these questions a bit easier on CT and WSP. Instagram is helpful to see in what context people are consuming. Cant really get that anywhere else.
In terms of speed, I don’t use the photo feature given how fast and forgiving the CT search is. On my desktop it’s easy enough to go to WSP but on my phone I have to switch over.
All said, I think Vivino has a place but given how I interact with wine, other tools are more powerful and more friendly.
I have it on my phone but have not really used it, although I keep meaning to. It seems to be a lot of the utility would be at restaurants but I never pull out my phone when I am out.
I agree with Alex here, I would much rather use CellarTracker than Vivino. The reviews and ratings on Vivino are atrocious, where else can you find supermarket wine rated the same as second growth Bordeaux?
Vivino seems targeted towards amateurs and dilettantes. CellarTracker, perhaps by virtue of its clunky user interface, seems to keep the hoi polloi out.
Vivino is great … if you’re trying to asses the “crowd pleaser” factor in a given wine. It helps if you’re looking for something that will be both interesting to wine lovers and go over well with all your guests.
I’m in the CellarTracker, WS Pro, Instagram crowd. CellarTracker just has the feel of the more serious crowd. Now, you have to know who the right people are on IG and CT. There is thread on here about CT reviews. They’re all not great just like Vivino.
Most of the Vivino reviews are clueless, but since the majority of Portuguese people seem to be unaware of CT’s existence, the more knowledgeable reviews of domestic wines end up on Vivino. For that reason I derive some utility from it.
I think Vivino is pretty good at aggregating rating info of a wine with a lot of data (what people talk about and taste characteristics widgets). Also, the “Best of Winery” section is useful for those less familiar with the producers hierarchy. And, the action button above the fold is thoughtful. The vintage panel is pretty good too. All said, lots of bright spots in the app.
Setting aside the fact I care more about what specific people think vs the wisdom of the crowd, the problem I have with the app is the clutter and information organization. Wine rankings are useless, the summary facts aren’t helpful and should be at the bottom, above the fold is all buying not really informational. The starting point of general view without being vintage specific vs the starting view of a vintage summary is another choice that doesn’t work for me.
Things that I think CT does that just makes it easier: 1. - - All of the labels people post to scan through. Helps with label variation.
the global menu at the top is powerful, including a hop to WSP
all biographical / slow moving information moved to the bottom. Makes it easier to see the important stuff.
I enjoy using the app to scan random bottles at Costco to get a feel of it. I agree CT and WS are more accurate, but I use it with a grain of salt - a 4.0 star bottle may not blow your mind but a 3.0 star bottle is best to stay away.
I recently found some deals on Vivino, combining first-time purchase, Rakuten rebate and free shipping.
I am mostly in the same camp as the consensus here. One thing I will admit is I like the tasting note functionality on Vivino. I like how it buckets the notes (red/black/tree fruit, wood, earth, etc). Maybe it’s me being lazy, but I find it helps me document more thorough notes. It is a bit clunky, but quite often I enter scan a wine in Vivino, compose my tasting note, and then cut/paste the note into CT.
Vivino reviews are horrible but there wine pricing can be good to very good especially if you order on a weekend when they have a 10% off everything. Its worth checking out pricing.
Yep, totally agree with this and the previous comments. In order of use is CT (by a wide margin), followed by WS Pro, and then Insta. I have the Vivino app but can’t remember the last time I’ve busted it out. Just no need to when all of your bases are covered by the other 3 apps.
I use WS and CT as well.
But I kinda like seeing what the public thinks.
TBH, I think the average ratings on Vivino have been pretty good.
CT definitely has the more educated taster for sure.
I actually use Vivino for pretty much only two things:
Keep track of the bottles I drink (label recognition ai works pretty well, so it’s very quick)
Check up on what friends are drinking
I never bought anything (though I see some good deals regularly), or used it to get info on some wine when at a restaurant or something.
The app itself is very well made imo, and they’re getting good traction.