There are several apps that can give shoppers a wealth of information about a wine by just scanning the label or QR code on the bottle. For wine consumers, smart shopping increasingly involves smartphones. Many local merchants have noticed a steady and often marked increase in customers pulling out their devices to determine their buying choices. And no, it’s not just those app-happy millennials going this route. “I’ve seen a lot of people in their mid-40s to mid-60s using [smartphones],” said Lonny Isenberg of Haskell’s Minnetonka. “The apps are maturing so that it’s filtering up from the early enablers to more mainstream.” What are they looking for? “A lot of everything,” Isenberg said. “How prices compare, how people reviewed it, just looking for a lot of information because it’s readily available. Some apps even have food matches.” A simple scan of a label or URL code can provide a wealth of info from Vivino, Corkz and other apps. Looking up ratings on a crowdsourcing site such as Cellar Tracker or Delectable produces countless reviews, from pros and avid “amateurs.”

And while younger consumers might be more inclined to seek out feedback from their peers, high-end buyers likely have a decidedly different goal. “If somebody out there buys a lot of really good stuff, the high-end [Robert] Parker stuff,” said Mike Thomas, whose family has owned St. Paul’s Thomas Liquors since Prohibition, “he might be checking for the prices” at sites such as Wine-Searcher, which lists prices from stores around the world. In a sense, these wine buyers are using the wide, wide world of the wine Web in lieu of something that’s already available to them: “shelf talkers,” the placards in front of bottles that might show only a Wine Spectator score but increasingly are crafted by winemongers to include ratings, descriptors and possible food pairings. “We’re doing the homework for them with our own shelf talkers,” said Thomas, who shares writing duties with one of the Twin Cities’ savviest wine salesmen, Peter Vars. The increasing prevalence of smartphone shoppers requires a somewhat different approach — generally a more patient one — from the sales staff.

“I give them more time [before checking in] because I want them to have the time to investigate what we have,” said Isenberg, who knows a thing or two about the electronic world, having worked in hardware systems support before landing at Haskell’s. “I know if they’re using a smartphone, they’re a little more clued into the top wines. “And when I do ask them if I can help them, a lot of times I really want to engage with them on what they’re using.” One thing he has noticed is the popularity of the all-encompassing Vivino package with younger women. Among millennials, the app fans are fairly evenly divided by gender, Isenberg said. A big force behind this trend is the democratization of wine. For decades Robert Parker, and to a lesser extent the Wine Spectator, ruled the roost in terms of consumer trust. Numbers in the 100-point rating system were king. But today a wider range of professionals have the eyes and ears of the wine-buying public, and many folks, especially younger ones, lend more credence to what their friends are enjoying.

Shelf talkers with a Parker score have “dropped down” in influence, Isenberg said. As the realm of expertise has broadened, the world has flattened in terms of what’s available on retail shelves and restaurant lists. That dovetails nicely with the app crowd, especially younger ones. “With all this info,” Isenberg said, “people seem more willing to look for other grapes, like Muller Thurgau, or wines from Jura or Muscadet. I think it makes them more adventurous.”best wine to buy in indiaFollow him on Twitter: @billward4.the wine guy wine shop Is this the future of college: Online classes, but no degreeselling vintage wine online Journalists honor press freedom at a dinner without Trumpbest box wine 2011

Absent glitter and Trump, journalists honor press freedom Maroon 5, Usher, Alabama Shakes headline Jazz Fest Day 2 Coppola and 'Godfather' cast reunite at Tribeca Film FestNostalgia is a powerful thing. For a certain portion of the population, one look at the clamshell LG Wine Smart will wash them in a wave of the stuff -- until they flip it open to reveal Android 4.4 KitKat on a 3.5-inch display. Made in black or white with a sexy gold racing stripe, the smartphone version of the LG Wine family is big on large buttons on the keypad and tactile directional controls on the navigation array. beer and wine delivery near meYou won't be typing long texts and email missives with that alphanumeric keyboard, but the touchscreen does offer basic functionality for opening apps such as the camera, and for sorting through menu options. best way to store a bottle of wine

LG created the Wine Smart after conducting tests with older folks to see which typical smartphone elements intimidate them most. Small buttons and type, and confusing features were the results of this market research. Especially for people transitioning from a non-touch feature phone, the familiar 3 x 3 icon grid includes apps like a TV and radio to go along with the typical calendar and camera. In addition to the touch capability, five dedicated hardware keys map top functions like drafting a message and opening the camera. font for wine menuA customizable convenience key lets you reprogram one of the buttons for your own use, and the tactile buttons that rise from the surface are easy to press. best virginia wine 2014The 1 watt speaker promises loud ringing. best white wine not dry

Up above, a heavily skinned version of Android 4.4.2 KitKat and simple settings make the functionality seemed toned down, but the Wine Smart is fully compatible with the Google Play store. Despite that, gameplay satisfaction will be very limited. I really love the Wine Smart's unabashedly tactile look and feel, especially the black version with tis textured cross-hatch black cover (the white model has a smooth backing). The phone folds down to a size compact enough to stick into a pocket and carry around. The flipping motion takes a strong thumb at first if you're doing it one-handed, but the hinge is sturdy. A loophole on the side of the phone lets you attach a charm, wristband, or a neck strap, the latter of which LG told CNET is especially popular among Japanese customers. In terms of specs, you're looking at that 3.5 HVGA IPS screen (480x320-pixel resolution), and a 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor. An 8-megapixel rear-facing camera will still let phone owners take solid shots, though there's no emphasis on the VGA front-facing camera for selfies and video chats.