Wine Tasting Goes High-Tech in New York

All of the technological aspects of Clo are reason enough to give it a try, but once you settle down with your selection, you'll feel completely removed from the city. It's all part of the relaxing, upscale charm of Clo.

"The idea behind Clo Wines was to demystify the whole wine bar experience and the retail experience and combine both those models," says Clo creator and founder Andrew Bradbury. "We really tried to make it very simple and very clean. We were more inspired by fashion retail than we were by anything going on in the wine world."

During his career, Bradbury has developed electronic wine lists on wireless tablets with Microsoft for a shop in Las Vegas. One of his first retail experiences was also in Sin City at a venue that integrated touch screens. With the knowledge that allows him to give information and content to people through a model that keeps everything simple, Bradbury says he has found the right combination for Clo.

For Bradbury, though, the beauty of all the technology is that it allows him to run a tight ship. "I can manage the business remotely on every level. I actually track my inventory to the ounce, not to the bottle," he says. "We can take all that information and effectively look at how each operation is performing."

Despite the fact that it often carries a negative connotation, self service at Clo is a hit among imbibers. While other wine bars shy away from this model, Bradbury and Clo embrace it by utilizing the concept the best way possible. Bradbury stresses, though, that Clo is anything but a robotic or a technology experience. At the end of the day, it's the people that drive this business.