London-based wine business Humble Grape has set its sights on becoming the ‘Starbucks of the wine world’, complete with enhanced technology, and plans to open 60 franchised wine bars.

Humble Grape is looking to build on its sales and wine events business by creating an “experimental wine bar with augmented reality to connect consumers and enhance their tasting experience”, which it would then roll out..

James Dawson founded the Humble Grape business in August 2009, initially looking to import small vineyard wines, mostly organic and biodynamic, from seven countries to sell to private clients. Then Dawson diversified to sell into the on-trade, and subsequently launched a pop-up wine events business.

The idea behind the wine and technology is that a customer sitting alone in one of Humble Grape’s wine bars might fancy tasting a bottle that’s slightly outside of their price range, or finding a drinking companion with similar taste who may be open to sharing a bottle. Technology helps them do it.