Is the world ready for the gamification of wine?
News  By Sarah Neish  E-commerce platform Underground Cellar has introduced a new gaming element for its wine buyers  Theres no denying that many of us like a little flutter. And with the global casino and online gambling industry worth a staggering $2261.79 billion, according to a 2021 report by Statista, its a pretty safe bet that our unquenchable thirst for risk, as well as for wine, is here to stay. Thats one reason why Jeffrey Shaw, founder of Californian e-commerce wine platform Underground Cellar has launched a new gamification concept for selling his bottles online. And he believes it could be the future of wine-selling. In a nutshell, customers choosing six or more wines worth $30 each may arrive at their online checkout to find that half of their order has been upgraded for free to bottles worth $50 or more. Or they might not. And therein lies the fun. On the one hand, its clearly a gamble, as more expensive doesnt necessarily mean better wines. Then theres the issue of taste preference. If you have a specific idea in mind of the kind of wine youd like to drink, only to find it has been substituted for something else entirely, then it could be rather annoying. However, its also a brilliant way for wine fans to discover new wines, new producers and lesser-known wine regions around the world. The idea, according to Shaw, is to introduce buyers to more expensive bottles, far-flung vineyards and wines produced by smaller, family-run operations that customers might otherwise not hear about. Some of the best wineries and winemakers wouldnt respond to us two years ago, Shaw has said. Now they are coming to us, tail between legs, saying wed love to chat.  And of course, there is the extremely inconvenient outcome of falling head over heels for the wine that was upgraded for free, and having to wrestle with your conscience forever more knowing that if you want to partake of its nectar again, youll have to shell out $50. Which of course is exactly the point. And vendors like Underground Cellar laugh all the way to the bank. We might just have to suck it and see.