104. Wine Tracking Apps - Which One Is Right for You?

Episode 104: Wine Tracking Apps - Which One Is Right for You?

Host: Joanne Close

Episode Length: 11:45

Release Date: March 26, 2026

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Episode Description

A listener reached out asking which wine app to use, and it turns out a lot of people have the same question. Joanne posed it to her newsletter community and the responses came flooding in, with avid trackers, reluctant trackers, and proud non-trackers all weighing in. This episode breaks down what the community said, reviews the most popular apps, and makes the case for why tracking your collection might be more useful than you think.

Joanne covers CellarTracker, Vivino, InVintory and Oeni, looking at what each app does, who it suits, and what it costs. She also walks through the practical reasons to start tracking, from knowing what you have and when to drink it, to building a personal taste profile over time and even valuing your collection for insurance purposes.

Whether you are a dedicated tracker, someone who keeps meaning to start, or someone who has no intention of ever downloading an app, this episode has something for you.

What You'll Learn in This Episode

The Listener Results

• How 34 listeners responded to the wine app question
• The three camps that emerged: dedicated trackers, reluctant trackers and proud non-trackers
• App breakdown by percentage: Vivino 35%, CellarTracker 24%, InVintory 12%, Oeni 6%, other methods 23%

Why Bother Tracking At All

• Knowing what you own and where it is
• Understanding when a bottle is ready to drink
• Making smarter buying decisions and identifying gaps in your collection
• Price comparison across markets
• Building a personal taste profile over time
• Food and wine pairing suggestions
• Keeping a record of wine trips and experiences
• Valuing your collection for insurance or resale

The Apps Reviewed

CellarTracker

• Founded 2003 by Eric LeVine, a Microsoft programmer who built it for himself
• 1 million active users and 9 million community tasting notes
• Free at the basic level with paid subscription tiers scaled to cellar size
• Integrates professional critic reviews including Jancis Robinson

Vivino

• Founded 2010 by Heini Zachariassen and Theis Søndergaard in Copenhagen
• 65 million users, 15 million wines in the database, 2 million labels scanned daily
• Best for discovery and browsing across 18 markets
• Free with ads, premium tier available, not built for serious cellar tracking

InVintory

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