VinoTastr
VinoTastr (TASTR LLC) sells a four-strip taste test kit that classifies consumers into one of five branded wine taste profiles based on TAS1R/TAS2R receptor expression, then matches them to personalized wine recommendations through a web/mobile portal and a B2B partner program serving the wine industry.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersTexas, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What VinoTastr does
VinoTastr, operated by TASTR LLC and headquartered in Texas, is a consumer wine-discovery company that sells the VinoTastr Discovery Kit — a physical product comprising four taste test strips paired with a QR code that grants access to a web and mobile app portal. The system measures outward expression of taste receptors (specifically the GPCR families TAS1R for sweet/umami and TAS2R for bitter/astringent) by having users rate strip intensity on a 0–10 scale, then maps those ratings to one of five branded taste profiles: Smooth Avenger, Savory Crusader, Body Advocate, Balance Ambassador, and Tannin Champion. Each profile correlates to a curated set of wine varietal recommendations, which are surfaced through the portal and via a monthly themed wine bulletin designed to expand users' palates beyond their comfort zone.
The technology stack is a rule-based recommendation engine rather than a machine-learning system: structured intensity ratings are classified into one of five fixed profiles, and those profiles are then matched against a proprietary wine-varietal content library. VinoTastr monetizes through multiple streams — one-time kit sales via its own app marketplace, recurring subscription access to the service, wine referral/transaction fees when users purchase recommended wines, and a B2B licensing/partnership program (VinoTastr for Business) that supplies winemakers, distributors, subscription clubs, and retailers with the Discovery Kit as a customer-engagement tool. The company also pursues a post-sale community layer with planned features for wine education and community ratings.
The go-to-market is hybrid: a product-led direct-to-consumer motion anchored by the physical kit and QR-code onboarding, layered with a channel-partner motion through wine-industry resellers, supplemented by an earned-media strategy that has secured placements in outlets such as Good Morning America, Forbes, Yahoo News, Us Weekly, International Business Times, and Miami Herald. Operationally, VinoTastr relies on a standard consumer SaaS/commerce stack including Stripe, PayPal, Apple and Google in-app payments, Shopify Payments, Square, Braintree, Klaviyo for email, FreshDesk for support, and Google Analytics, Firebase, and Mouseflow for analytics. The company is privately held with no disclosed venture funding, no published headcount, and trademark filings dated to May 2023.
VinoTastr firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- VinoTastr
- Legal name
- TASTR LLC
- Website
- https://vinotastr.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- VinoTastr (TASTR LLC) sells a four-strip taste test kit that classifies consumers into one of five branded wine taste profiles based on TAS1R/TAS2R receptor expression, then matches them to personalized wine recommendations through a web/mobile portal and a B2B partner program serving the wine industry.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
VinoTastr industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Personalized Wine Recommendation Technology
- SIC
- Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Wine & Sparkling Wine Wineries & Brands (CRADAIAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Sensory/Taint & Odor Transfer Testing (organoleptic evaluation) (AFALAIAM)
Keywords
Where VinoTastr is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Texas
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
VinoTastr business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Personnel
Revenue model
- Discovery Kit Sales: Physical discovery kits containing four taste test strips and a QR code for portal access are sold to consumers. Each kit permits one test-taking session.
- Wine Recommendations & Sales: After receiving their taste profile, users can discover and purchase wine varietals aligned with their taste sensitivities through the platform, creating a transaction/referral revenue stream.
- Subscription Services: The platform offers subscription-based access to the service, with automatic renewal billing on a recurring periodic basis (daily, weekly, monthly, or annually depending on the plan selected).
- B2B Partnership / Enterprise Licensing: VinoTastr provides its taste technology to business partners (winemakers, distributors, retailers, subscription clubs) to personalize their customer experience, likely through licensing or per-seat arrangements.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | VinoTastr Discovery Kit — single purchase |
| Subscription | Monthly | VinoTastr Subscription |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
VinoTastr product offering
Product offeringCore offering
VinoTastr sells a physical VinoTastr Discovery Kit containing four taste test strips and a QR code that links users to a web portal where they rate taste intensity. The platform analyzes taste receptor expression (TAS1R and TAS2R families) to assign users one of five branded taste profiles (Smooth Avenger, Savory Crusader, Body Advocate, Balance Ambassador, Tannin Champion) and provides personalized wine varietal recommendations. The company also offers a B2B partnership program enabling winemakers, distributors, subscription clubs, and retailers to use the kit as a customer engagement and personalization tool.
Product overview
VinoTastr is a wine taste technology company offering the VinoTastr Discovery Kit — a physical product with four taste test strips paired with a web-based app portal. Users register their kit, place strips on their tongue to rate taste intensity, and receive one of five taste profiles (Smooth Avenger, Savory Crusader, Body Advocate, Balance Ambassador, Tannin Champion) that map to personalized wine recommendations. The core product portfolio includes the Discovery Kit, the companion web portal/app, and five distinct taste profile sub-brands. An additional B2B offering called 'VinoTastr for Business' enables wine industry partners to integrate taste personalization into their customer experience. The technology is backed by 10+ years of taste science research focusing on GPCR taste receptors (TAS1R and TAS2R).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- VinoTastr Discovery Kit: A four-strip taste test kit used to assess taste sensitivities and match users with wine preferences.
- VinoTastr Profile
Products and services
- VinoTastr Discovery Kit Physical kit with four taste test strips and a QR code that registers the kit in the VinoTastr web portal. Users place each strip on their tongue for 4-6 seconds, rate taste intensity from 0-10, and receive one of five VinoTastr taste profiles (Smooth Avenger, Savory Crusader, Body Advocate, Balance Ambassador, Tannin Champion) with personalized wine varietal recommendations. Sold to individual wine consumers.
- VinoTastr Web Portal and App Web-based application portal where users register their kit, take the taste test by rating strip intensity 0-10, view their VinoTastr Profile, browse tailored wine varietal recommendations, compare profiles with friends, and access subscription features such as monthly wine bulletins and recommendation history. Targets registered kit owners and wine enthusiasts.
- VinoTastr for Business B2B partnership offering for winemakers, distributors, subscription clubs, and retailers. Partners incorporate the VinoTastr Discovery Kit and taste-matching technology into their customer experience to personalize wine shopping, deepen engagement, and drive wine sales.
Quantifiable outcome
- Wine recommendations are regularly updated and tailored to each user's profile
Companies that use VinoTastr
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
VinoTastr technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration18 records
AI capability2 records
Feature3 records
VinoTastr partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- WinemakerscoreVinoTastr partners with winemakers to help them sell more wine by using science to connect winemakers' products to consumers whose taste profiles match their wine characteristics. The partnership provides winemakers with a science-backed tool to personalize customer engagement.
- Wine DistributorscoreWine distributors use the VinoTastr Discovery Kit to help their retail and restaurant customers discover wines matched to their taste preferences, increasing basket size and repeat purchases through personalization.
- Wine Subscription ClubscoreSubscription wine clubs integrate the VinoTastr taste profile to personalize monthly wine selections for members, using the taste test as an onboarding tool to understand each subscriber's palate.
- Wine RetailerscoreWine retailers offer the VinoTastr Discovery Kit in-store or online to help shoppers understand their taste profile and confidently purchase wines from the retailer's selection, driving engagement and sales.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
VinoTastr competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Wine Folly: Wine Folly is a well-established wine education and recommendation brand with a broad content library and consumer tools. It is a larger incumbent in adjacent wine discovery rather than a direct taste-biology competitor.
Direct peers
- Tastry: Tastry applies chemistry- and sensory-driven analytics to match consumers to wines, with a primary focus on B2B partnerships with wineries and retailers. It is the closest analog to VinoTastr's taste-science approach, also targeting the wine industry's personalization problem.
- Vivino: Vivino is the largest consumer wine app, combining label scanning, crowd-sourced ratings, and personalized recommendations. It competes directly with VinoTastr for end-user mindshare on wine discovery, though without a taste-biology input.
- Delectable: Delectable is a wine discovery and community app that combines expert and user ratings with personalized feed-based recommendations. It targets the same consumer wine-curious audience as VinoTastr.
- Hello Vino: Hello Vino is a wine recommendation app focused on personalized suggestions through quizzes and preference inputs. It is comparable in product (D2C wine personalization) though it lacks the biological/taste-strip input layer.
- Preferabli: Preferabli (formerly Wine Ring) uses AI-driven preference modeling to recommend wines, spirits and food. Its personalization engine and B2B2C distribution model mirror VinoTastr's positioning, making it a strong direct comparable.
Others
- Wine-Searcher: Wine-Searcher is a global wine price and availability search engine. It is comparable only as a downstream destination where VinoTastr-recommended wines may be purchased, not as a direct personalization competitor.
- Somm Select: Somm Select is a wine curation and DTC retailer with an editorial/expert-driven recommendation model. It serves a comparable wine consumer and overlaps with VinoTastr's B2B partnership thesis around subscription clubs.
- Coravin: Coravin is a wine technology brand built around preservation systems. It is adjacent rather than directly competitive, but both target the same consumer wine-enthusiast demographic and overlapping retail/distributor channels.
Emerging players
- Plonk: Plonk is a wine discovery app for consumers emphasizing personalized recommendations through preference inputs. It overlaps with VinoTastr's consumer mission with a smaller, digitally native footprint.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
VinoTastr social profiles
Digital presenceVinoTastr financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
VinoTastr leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
VinoTastr funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
VinoTastr M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about VinoTastr
What does VinoTastr do?
VinoTastr sells a physical VinoTastr Discovery Kit containing four taste test strips and a QR code that links users to a web portal where they rate taste intensity. The platform analyzes taste receptor expression (TAS1R and TAS2R families) to assign users one of five branded taste profiles (Smooth Avenger, Savory Crusader, Body Advocate, Balance Ambassador, Tannin Champion) and provides personalized wine varietal recommendations. The company also offers a B2B partnership program enabling winemakers, distributors, subscription clubs, and retailers to use the kit as a customer engagement and personalization tool.
Is VinoTastr a public or private company?
VinoTastr is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was VinoTastr founded?
VinoTastr was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is VinoTastr based?
VinoTastr is headquartered in Texas, United States, in the North America region.
How does VinoTastr make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Discovery Kit Sales are the primary driver. The others are wine Recommendations & Sales, subscription Services and B2B Partnership / Enterprise Licensing.
Who are VinoTastr's main competitors?
Wine Folly is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are Tastry, Vivino, Delectable, Hello Vino and Preferabli. Others are Wine-Searcher, Somm Select and Coravin. Plonk is listed as an emerging player.
Does VinoTastr have an API?
No public API is recorded for VinoTastr.
What industry is VinoTastr in?
VinoTastr's product category is Personalized Wine Recommendation Technology. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRADAIAB, Wine & Sparkling Wine Wineries & Brands, with a secondary code of AFALAIAM, Sensory/Taint & Odor Transfer Testing (organoleptic evaluation). Its SIC code is 2090.