Push button, prepare palate

Stores invest in wine dispensers to turn tasters into buyers

Wine-making may be centuries old, but wine-tasting is taking a 21st-century spin.

An increasing number of stores, restaurants and wine bars are investing in automated machines to pour wine for customers.

The machines are not cheap. Depending on the number of bottles the merchant wants to offer, a wine dispenser can easily cost $15,000 or more.

Business owners are weighing the benefits of having something new against the risks of making a big investment as the economy is slowing and consumers are less likely to buy pricey bottles of wine.

In the increasingly competitive wine industry, more owners are choosing to splurge.

Most machines offer customers a choice of sample sizes: an ounce, a half-glass or a full glass. The cost of the samples is based on the amount.

"It gives you the ability to taste wines that you probably wouldn't buy on your own," said Seth Gross, whose Wine Authorities store in Durham has a wine dispenser, the Enomatic, that was made by a company in Italy.

"It definitely helps sell more wine," he said, "because when [customers] ... taste things and like it, they can just grab a bottle."

Kurt Saylor, manager of The Wine Merchant in Raleigh's Ridgewood shopping center, was skeptical when the manufacturer of his new wine dispenser suggested that customers would upgrade their selections if they could try the pricier options. But they do.

"I had a woman who likes a $30 pinot noir. She tried a $50 pinot and liked it enough to buy a bottle. Then she asked if that company made any other wines, and I said, 'They make this other bottle, but it's $80,' and she said, 'I'll take one of those, too.' "

Jennifer Gardner lives near Saylor's store. She and her fiance frequent The Wine Merchant's monthly tastings and have used the machine three or four times.

On a typical visit, they will taste three or four wines; they spend $6 to $10 each.

Variety is the spice

"Each taste is like a quarter of a glass," she said. "So we can try three or four, and it's like having one glass of wine. ... I've liked several of them. It just lets you try things.

"We tend to stick to a certain price range, but if you're just having a taste, you're just having a taste, and we might end up buying a bottle if we like one."

Still, Saylor knows it will take a lot of customers like Gardner before the company recoups its investment. The Wine Merchant's machine was installed about seven weeks ago.

"The machine should take care of itself within a year and a half or so," he said.

Customers queue up

There are only a few manufacturers of wine dispensers.

Regardless of the maker, most machines feature digital displays that tell the customer about the wine, along with the prices of a 1-ounce sample, 2.5-ounce half-glass and 5-ounce full glass.

The bottles are displayed in a temperature-controlled case that helps preserve the wine's taste. Customers purchase prepaid cards that they can use to activate the machines and order a glass at a time.

"We have people coming in even during lunch," Saylor said. "We've had people go around the corner to Whole Foods, get a salad or some sushi, and then come over here and have just a taste."

This week, the machine at The Wine Merchant displayed a dozen bottles, both reds and whites. They ranged from $1.50 for a one-ounce sample to $20 for a full glass of 2003 Ciacci Brunello.

Most machines stock at least four bottles. They can be custom built to accommodate hundreds of bottles, to suit big wine bars or hotels. The cost ranges from about $1,000 to $2,000 per bottle that the merchant wishes to offer.

Nick Moezidis, co-founder of Napa Technology of California, said the marketing possibilities are almost endless.

His company has sold about 450 machines in the past year. Restaurants, retailers, bars, hotels, beauty salons and barber shops are among his customers.

"We took the peanut butter approach," he said. "We're just spreading the word across all areas."

Still, with the economy slowing down, sales are not what they could be, Moezidis acknowledged.

"People started pushing back their build-outs, and loans from banks became really difficult to get," he said.

Something different

In the end, it comes down to having an edge in an industry that has become crowded with competitors.

Grocery stores are ramping up their wine selections. Megamarkets also offer wine. Even some convenience stores and gas stations sell wine.

"Any business that has an opportunity to sell wine will sell wine," Saylor said. "You've always got to keep on looking into the future."

At the Wine Authorities in Durham, no one can remember the fancy Italian name for the wine machine, the Enomatic.

But Seth Gross and the co-owner, Craig Heffley, have heard so many made-up names that they're considering printing a T-shirt listing them all.

"The Eno-ma-jig, the Eno-mator, the Wine Trier, the Vino-vend," Gross rattled off. "They come in and say to their friends, 'I have to show you the Vino-vendor.'

"But I don't care what they call it. Business is outstanding."