By Kylie Meyermann

As a twenty-something, I can attest that social media is becoming ever more difficult to comprehend. Moving at light year speed, many people are struggling to maintain half a dozen communication apparatuses’ all while struggling to remain relevant.

The sole intention of social media is to keep others informed. While blogs were cultivated at the beginning of the social media revolution, users were quickly criticized for applying too much personal dialogue, (uh hum, Julie Powell). Twitter eliminates this dilemma by only allowing users 140 scrupulous characters.

While Twitter has done wonders for the hash-tag, Twitter makes it exceedingly difficult for consumers to make informed purchases.

It is nearly impossible for a wine review on Twitter to elaborate beyond ‘Good red wine. Drink now’.

I miss the quirky innuendos.

For those of us lost in social media limbo, QR Codes are the perfect antidote for those serious consumers.

QR (short form for Quick Response) are square codes, usually the size of a postage stamp, which features black-and-white designs that resemble pixels. There are countless apps on smartphones that can scan the code by using the phone’s camera. The camera then translates the pixel into a Web address.

Many wine producers are using QR codes to help communicate complex information to their consumers. The back label of a wine bottle has more-or-less the same character expectancy as a post on Twitter – 140 characters. QR Codes can link wine drinkers to the winery from almost any location, as long as they possess a smartphone.  Vineyard philosophy, team member directory, weather reports and customer feedback are all available at the flash of a camera. The consumers now have the benefit of making a more informed purchase.

The LCBO is also jumping on board the flash-wagon by printing QR Codes on their in-store advertisements. During the LCBO’s goLOCAL campaign, customers had the option of flashing their camera’s at goLOCAL billboards, which would then link the consumers to wine reviews provided by the LCBO purchasing team.

For many people, including myself, it is much easier accessing a QR Code for information than navigating through some  labyrinth of a wine app.

QR Codes still have a long way to go, they are still in the ity-bity stage of social media. While restaurants and food and beverage chains have quickly adopted a QR advertising agenda, individual producers are more reluctant to acquire QR technology, which is unfortunate when considering the many benefits.

I’m looking forward to the day when I will be able to scan a QR Code on a barrel of cheese and be transported to a farm instead of a news review. Reading a review can never compare to the visual of sheep grazing in a dewy meadow while a farmer agitatedly explains his agriculture aesthetics.

QR Codes may spur the new renaissance of romance and food.

Kylie Meyermann is a contributor of Good Food Revolution. Follow her on twitter KyliesWines. She would love to hear your feedback.