ABOUT US

Nirvino is, simply, the easiest way to find great wine. Our innovative technology combines wine reviews and ratings from print, online, and broadcast wine critics into one score. Get all of the information you need to make an informed purchasing decision with just one click. If the Nirvino Rating says a wine is great, look no further!


Where does the word "Nirvino" come from?

Nirvino is a portmanteau of the words Nirvana (enlightenment) and Vino (wine!). In the spirit of enlightenment we hope this site helps us all come a little closer to the joy of drinking that perfect bottle!


What inspired us?

We launched Nirvino in the beginning of 2007 with the idea of creating an easy way to separate good wine from bad. We felt like we were always unprepared-- looking at restaurant wine lists or going to the grocery store and not having a clue about which wine to buy. We needed a resource to help us make informed wine selections. Enter Nirvino.


The Nirvino Mission

To help our users make more informed decisions when purchasing and enjoying wine.


The Nirvino Rating

Our ratings are generated from a database of hundreds of thousands of wine critic reviews. Critic reviews for a particular bottle of wine are normalized, weighted, and calculated into an overall score, The Nirvino Rating. The purpose of the rating is to provide our users with a straightforward and accurate reflection of what the critics, in general, thought about a wine. A more in depth explanation of our scoring methods can be found here: Our Scoring.


Some other cool Nirvino features

  • Nirvino to Go
    You’re stuck in a restaurant staring blankly at the wine menu... or perhaps at the grocery store doing “Eeny, meeny, miny, moe” – believe us, we’ve been there. Check out our mobile applications and let us help you select that great bottle when you need it most! Access Nirvino from your iPhone, Treo, Blackberry, or plain old cellphone.
  • Food Pairings
    We've got over 100,000 food pairing recommendations for all types of cuisine. Search for a perfect bottle to go with your favorite dish!
  • Flavor Profiles
    Do you love wines with 'hints of gooseberry' or 'gobs of bright cherry'? Find 'em at Nirvino. We've got hundreds of thousands of flavor profile recommendations for every wine aroma.