Food and wine pairings is a staple in our industry, but not every establishment has the expertise on their payroll. If Amazon has it's way, you may not need to.
Amazon -- the purveyor of everything it seems -- is experimenting with a dial-a-sommelier service. The service is 100% free. Customers simply buzz the Amazon sommelier hotline with what they're eating and get a call back with possible pairings from a certified sommelier. Turn around time is just a few minutes, according to Amazon.
Unfortunately for the rest of the dining world, the service is only available in Japan at the moment.
With new technology constantly introducing itself into the restaurant industry and on-demand services becoming more the norm in today's way of life (see: Netflix) it shouldn't be too surprising to see services like this pop up. Amazon is also dabbing in the food-carryout business with Amazon Prime Now restaurant delivery, so it's not new to the food industry.
Of course, it's always best to have the expertise of a certified sommelier in-house, but for those restaurants that don't, a service like this could prove useful (hard to argue with free, as long as it's good). Alas, Amazon isn't saying one way or another if they'll expand the service to other markets. But the opportunity proves interesting for sure.
So, what do you think? Would you use a dial-a-sommelier?