There's not enough cutting edge web/mobile development focused around The Booze, so I'm quite interested in the news that WineZap.com has launched a mobile site that lets you check wine prices and availability in real time - even if it is US-only for the moment.
The site has you enter a vintage and wine name, and are then shown pricing info and contact details for retailers selling it. You can narrow that down by postcode too, and certain handsets will be able to call the retailer by clicking on a link. The theory is that people will use the app while shopping for wine, to check if they're getting a good price - and if not, where they can get a better one.
I have to admit, I'm not entirely convinced. Real wine buffs will presumably know if they're getting a good deal, or will have a personal relationship with the retailer that negates this kind of jumping around. And those of us who just want a bargain bottle of plonk would probably rather have a service that we can tell 'Right, I'm in Sainsbury's in Bishops Stortford, which wines under £5 here are worth trying?' and get a response.
Still, WineZap is certainly committed to offering mobile features. Besides an existing SMS wine-price service, the company is also planning to introduce photo messaging, allowing people to send in photos of a wine label to get in-depth product and pricing info. Now this I could go for.