Clo - A Wine Bar for Techies

Opened only for about 2 months now, Clo is a new wine tasting bar located on the 4th floor at the Time Warner Center

It has a nouveau concept - a self service wine tasting bar, where you purchase by the taste...

Sandwiched between the likes of Per Se and Bar Masa, Clo is certainly in good company. The wine bar is located in an open aired area on the 4th floor, with a smart looking white bar running down the middle of the area. The bar has seating for around 10 people - and for this place, you need a seat - that is where the magic happens.

Each seat at the bar has a touch screen navigation tool that lets you search for different wines by price, region, white/red/rose, etc. Reminiscent of the iPhone, the bar will register the slightest of touch, letting you scroll through the various wines offered. Each wine has an info page that has some notes on the particular wine and its "location" at the bar, i.e. where that wine is located at the bar. (All the wines are encased around the bar)

After choosing a wine to taste - you go to the location, insert your "Clo" card and then press the tap and a taste (about half a glass) will pour into your glass.

Clo offers two options - a prepaid card - you can add any amount to a Clo card - perfect for gifting, or you can just give them your credit card and run it like a normal bar tab.

Be careful though - that tab can easily run up, as tastes range from $4 all the way to a sky high $98 for a wine dated back to 1896. Remember, prices are per taste, not per glass...double it and you get the per glass price.

In a couple months Clo will open an accompanying wine shop downstairs where they can use the information on your Clo card to have the wines you tried ready for you to purchase in a jiffy.

Clo is a new and interesting concept utilizing the best that technology has to offer. While there may be some kinks to iron out as there is a fair amount of consumer education necessary...the idea is a good one - A great way to taste some very expensive wines without committing to the bottle.

Open from late afternoon to evening, Clo is a great way to unwind after a long day at the office or a fun place to take a date when you want to impress.

Clo
Time Warner Center, 60 Columbus Circle
4th Floor, New York NY 10019
212-823-9898
www.clowines.com