(15-Dec-10) While the grape fields of Northern California may be the last place you would expect to see one of tech's hottest-selling gadgets, that's not the case at Jordan Winery, where the company recently gave iPads to all 97 employees.
The iPad is used by sales managers of the Healdsburg, Calif., winery to pitch customers, train sommeliers and educate guests at wine festivals.
"Five years ago you'd go in with pictures in a book, flyers and magazines -- everything was done with paper," said Lisa Mattson, Jordan Winery's director of communications. "Now we're at a point where we can have this really cool dynamic presentation that people can move with their fingers, and see beautiful imagery that goes way beyond the two-dimensional world."
Jordan's winemakers also use the iPad to remotely monitor quality control and temperature of its wine tanks, and the company plans to transition design of its fermentation tank maps from Macs to the tablet sometime next year.