In the age of COVID-19, innovation is needed by businesses to survive and grow, and one new Aussie app is set to help the country’s wine producers do just that.
With the traditional days of welcoming visitors and tasters to the cellar door not as common these days, winemakers have pivoted to technology to connect with customers across the land.
That’s where iHeartWine comes in. The new app connects winemakers and grape growers to us wine lovers directly, helping smaller producers maintain their wine production.
It was created by Marc Malouf, a prominent Aussie guitarist, who’s wrote and played with the likes of Kylie Minogue, Sia, and The Scissor Sisters.
Passionate about wine , he wanted to support the best Aussie independent and boutique wineries that aren’t often found in the average bottle-o.
“Due to COVID restrictions, hard working wineries who would usually be thriving from tourism, are struggling,” Marc shared. “Less people are able to visit, taste and buy wines from family-run wine producers. iHeartWine allows smaller wineries to continue to run their business by connecting them to Aussie wine-lovers. 2021 is set to be an abundant year for grape production and smaller winemakers need a channel to get their wine out there.”
iHeartWine essentially cuts out the middle man: all wine sold on the app comes directly from the wineries themselves, meaning the winery earns 90% from every bottle. Compared to wine sold via the bigger retailers, where the return amount is only around 40%-60% on average, that’s a huge difference.
Love Food & Drink?
Get the latest Food & Drink news, features, updates and giveaways straight to your inbox Learn more
And not only does a direct marketplace benefit the producers, it also benefits customers, who can discover unique wines that offer better quality and value from wineries.
With next year set to be a bumper year for production, with excellent growing conditions forecast, there will be plenty of great wines to choose from.
And let’s face it, with summer approaching and the end of lockdown in sight, wine sounds like a bloody lovely idea.
Check out the iHeartWine app and see their eclectic current selection here.
Check out these 10 boutique Aussie white wines for under $30:
