Aussie wine brand McGuigan has teamed up with Masterchef presenter John Torode to launch a personal food and wine matching app to increase customer engagement with the brand and encourage upselling.

Bottles of McGuigan wine will carry QR codes on the label, which can be scanned in-store with a smart phone to access a microsite showing shoppers information on their chosen wine, along with matched recipes developed by Torode. It will enable shoppers to buy the wine and ingredients in one step.

The use of QR codes on wine has grown in recent years, however the company says its app differs in that it offers a highly personal food match service which can be tailored to individuals’ taste preferences. When they download the app, the consumer fills out a brief questionnaire about their food preference to display food choices tailored to their individual palate.

McGuigan boss Neil McGuigan said the easy-to-use app would help remove the lingering snob factor that surrounds wine and food matching by tapping into the technology that consumers are embracing and proving a tailored service.

“There is a lack of confidence among consumers, who are afraid to engage in food matching,” he said. “What we have tried to do is give consumers more choice and ideas.”

The company is aiming for a take-up of around 5,000-10,000 shoppers. In 2011, it ran a QR code advertisement in Sainsbury’s and Tesco magazine offering advice on wines, which racked up 9,000 responses, while a 8-week promotional trial last year resulted in 3,000 participants, with around 700 registering details. 

The company is running a promotional competition via the from 1 February – 1 June offering six couples the chance to win a half-day cooking with John Torode.

Portuguese wine producer Falua also announced its own QR food matching and recipe app, which is available on three of its Tagus Creek wines. The move is part of a collaboration with wine critic Charles Metcalfe, and uses promotional neck labels to highlight the ingredients required for the six recipes, as well as instructions on how to access the videos.

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