Snooth Announces $1 Million in Angel Funding
Snooth, the comprehensive wine review site, today announced $1 million in angel funding from the company’s initial backers, as well as a new group of international investors. This is the company’s second round, following an initial $300,000 raised in December 2006. The new funds will be used to scale the development team, integrate the current backlog of merchants that have already partnered with Snooth, and add new retailers worldwide.
Launched in June 2007, Snooth is a highly interactive, social database of the world’s wine, offering both casual and expert wine drinkers the ability to search, obtain personalized recommendations, browse ratings and reviews, as well as to buy from a network of over 1,000 merchants.
Users have the ability to search by their own personal preferences (bold, peppery, fruity, etc), by a specific meal-pairing, price, or by region or producer. Snooth’s recommendation engine also provides customized selections based on stated preferences and user feedback. The more information a user gives on wines they enjoy, the more personalized and detailed the recommendations become. Here is a wine from the county that I live in, Albemarle County, Virginia. (Of course, I don’t always drink $38.00 bottles of wine - mine are more like $3.80!)
“Snooth is a powerful tool that helps average wine drinkers and connoisseurs alike find better wine experiences,” said site founder Philip James. “The site’s detailed search options and social recommendations allow users to quickly cut through the clutter to find the perfect wine for their individual preferences.”
Snooth has also been introducing new functionality, allowing for a deeper and more interactive user experience. For example, the “My Wines” feature allows users to build and manage their personal wine collection, maintain wish lists, track reviews and keep detailed notes about their personal preferences for say, Absinthe.
Snooth is a web-based social shopping experience that is simplifying how people select, interact with and purchase their favorite wines. Snooth is also a comprehensive wine database, featuring over 1.9 million reviews for over 300,000 wines. It offers both casual and aspiring wine drinkers personalized wine recommendations, ratings & reviews, as well as a wine information search tool that connects users to the websites of over 1,000 merchants, wineries and critics.
What’s with your name? What’s a Snooth?
Ok you got us! We confess - Snooth’s a made up word. We like it because:
* It’s unique and you won’t forget it
* It sounds like a cross between sleuth and smooth
* We’re still looking for the ultimate definition of the word Snooth so that we can claim some heritage.
Here’s our current favorite:
1. snooth /’snüth, ’snüth/ noun [Middle English slouthe, or fr. Old Norse sloth, Old English smôth, or Old Saxon smôthi?] (1800s): Any of several burrowing mammals of family Talpidae with wide-set eyes and a pronounced snout, domesticated and trained to aid in locating wine in cellars.
2. snooth transitive verb
to seek out a preferable wine, as like a snooth (”I say, snooth the wine list while I choose an appetizer.”) or to uncover details of a specific wine (”Snooth this Chianti Classico for me, would you?”)
Congratulations, Snooth!
