Wine Tasting Goes High-Tech in New York

"What's great about Clo is that customers are doing this in an exploratory environment," he says. "I want people to feel empowered and to not be scared of wine. I want them to go out and try it. That's why we do those half-glass pours. You don't have to commit to a full glass. If you really like it, have another or try something else."

Part of the beauty of Clo is that you can be either a wine novice or an expert and still find something interesting. Bradbury says that consumption patterns globally are going up just about in every major market, leading to a glut of great wine. One would really have to focus in order to find the wine they'd enjoy most. With five master sommeliers lending their knowledge, Clo does all of that work for the customers.

Clo also offers the proposition with some of its rarer wines, selling them for a lower price than a restaurant or a wine shop might. Instead of shelling out $300 to $700 for a bottle, visitors to Clo can try one of the rarer wines at a lower price tag for a small glass.

"That's the great part and experience we offer here at Clo," Bradbury says. "You don't have to commit to the full bottle. You can try it and say that you got to try this great old classic wine without spending the full amount on it. For somebody that's really into wine, maybe a collector, we have wines that I guarantee they've never seen before."