Total Wine & More Launches New iPad App to Pair Food and Wine

NEWPORT BEACH, CA, January 28, 2013 (Press-News.org) Total Wine & More, America's largest independent retailer of wine, beer and spirits, has launched a new food and wine pairing app exclusively for the iPad to bring its next-generation shopping experience to customers in Southern California.

"As a beverage superstore, we are constantly seeking new ways to make our customers' experiences more fun and insightful," explains David Trone, who co-owns Total Wine & More with his brother Robert Trone. "This new app does just that. Wine lovers in Southern California now have an enjoyable, interactive way to identify the perfect bottle of wine to accompany any meal."

The new app, which is available for free at the iTunes App Store, is designed to enable users to pair the right wine with various foods ranging from simple to exotic. App features include:

• Seven different food categories which customers may browse in order to pair wine with a variety of meals.
• Complimentary food recipes from Wine Spectator magazine available in each pairing category.
• An adjustable "pairing option," which can be customized to accommodate various food preparation styles.

"Food and wine go hand in hand, and we are giving people the chance to find new ways to enjoy them together," says Trone. "Using the new Total Wine app, our customers can also review wine descriptions, find new recipes, and share those via email or print them out for shopping."

The launch of this new app coincides with Total Wine & More's ongoing initiative to offer a unique, "next-generation" in-store experience to its customers. Next-generation elements found in Southern California stores include:

• iPads equipped with the new Total Wine & More app, enabling customers to pair any of the 8,000 wines offered by the superstore with a variety of foods.
• Fully-equipped education centers offering a variety of classes on wines, beers and spirits.
• State-of-the art tasting bars to facilitate wine, beer, and spirits tastings.
• Flat panel video screens to provide continuous educational content on wine, beer and spirits makers and their trade.

"It is important that our customers in Southern California have the chance to not only taste and enjoy the beverages we offer, but also to find out more about them," says Trone. "By introducing this new iPad app and continuing to offer new, next-generation elements in our stores, we are able to continue to educate wine lovers in innovative ways."

The new Total Wine & More app was developed in partnership with Wine Spectator, Ironpaper, an internet strategy and production agency, and Kural, a full-service branding solutions company.

The app features wines which are currently available in Total Wine & More's Southern California stores, including locations in Redondo Beach, Northridge, Thousand Oaks, Laguna Hills, Brea, Tustin, Huntington Beach, and Rancho Cucamonga.

Total Wine & More operates 88 wine superstores in 14 states. The company's vast selection of products, combined with low everyday prices and expertly trained wine associates brings a unique shopping experience to the customer. Total Wine & More has the distinction of being Beverage Dynamic's 2008 Wine Retailer of the Year, Market Watch's 2006 Retailer of the Year, and Wine Enthusiast's 2004 Retailer of the Year. Since opening its first store in 1991, Total Wine & More has been committed to being the premier wine retailer in every community that it serves. More information and store locations are available at http://www.totalwine.com