TastingBuddy takes wine notes

There is now a gadget available that enables wine professionals and enthusiasts to record detailed tasting notes on a mobile phone or pocket PC. TastingBuddy allows users to take electronic tasting notes that are later uploaded to a personal online database, where they can be edited, sorted and shared with others. The software has been designed by brothers John and Paul Fitzpatrick of Systeme Ouvert Solutions. They said they noticed that at tasting events, ‘many people were scratching notes about the wines in the margins of the wine list. Yet many wine lists ended up discarded on the floor, so goodness knows how the tasters remembered what they thought of the wines on show.’ It occurred to them that there must be a way to use a small handset to capture a tasting note, which could then be uploaded onto a website. As a result, TastingBuddy was born. The software is available in two operating modes. The freestyle mode is good for professionals, while the analytical mode, which prompts the user, is designed for enthusiasts. The service is subscription-based, with an annual fee of £40 for consumers and £30 for members of the trade.