Cambridge-Based Entrepreneur Launches New Business in Grand Rapids
Vinely: A Personality Test Disguised as a Wine Tasting
Grand Rapids, Mich. – Cambridge, Massachusetts-based start-up Vinely, will launch first in Grand Rapids MI. Vinely is a brand new company focused on making it easy for consumers to identify their personal taste palate by simply sipping a few wines. Vinely uses a methodology designed by MIT scientist, and serial entrepeneur Joe Chung of Redstar Ventures. A launch event open to the media and community will be held on Wednesday, October 10 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Haworth Showroom space located in Mo/Div at 40 Monroe Street Northwest.
“Making wine accessible to all in a comfortable, stress-free environment that simplifies the tasting process in a fun, unique and innovative way is what Vinely is all about,” said Bill Wittenberg, Vinely CEO. “Vinely was launched out of my own frustrations of not understanding the multiple varieties of wines, brand names and industry vocabulary. Vinely’s mission is to make finding the wines you like easy and enjoyable. We take the guesswork out of it. You don’t have to be a wine expert because you already are. You know what you like.”
Attendees to the open house will taste why Vinely is revolutionizing the wine experience based on each person’s individual palate. The event will mimic an in-home party and will allow media and guests to try different wines and rate them based on their personal tastes. Vinely staff will determine each tasters wine Personality by using the Vinely methodology. The more participants taste, the more refined the wine matches will be. The Vinely Methodology – a proprietary system, developed to define each person’s true wine personality, gets better with time and can help shape all future wine purchases.
“The decision to launch Vinely in Grand Rapids was due to the openness of the community to new entrepreneurial business and their responsiveness to new creative business endeavors. We look to utilize local wineries in every market that Vinely is launched in, and Michigan is no different,” said Elizabeth Goede, vice president of marketing for Vinely. “Currently (to date) shipments have included wines from 3 local Michigan wineries – Bowers Harbor, Brys Estate and Left Foot Charley. It is very important to Vinely that we provide wine locally in each market we are represented in, while also providing the best quality matched to a customer’s taste and budget.”
“Vinely is out to change a “typical” wine tasting by bringing the process into homes and helping individuals embrace their personal tastes in a relaxed and supportive, dare we say it FUN environment, without judgment,” said Wittenberg.
Additional information will be provided at the launch event so that guests have an opportunity to become involved as a Vinely Pro to help lead the tasting parties or sign up to host their very own in-home Vinely taste party.
More information on Vinely can be found at www.vinely.com.
