Pre-Launch Test Guide — Internal Use Only
Thank you for helping us test FlavorsOfWine.com before its official launch! You're getting a sneak peek at what we believe will become the most beautiful, comprehensive wine directory on the internet.
What's Live
Browsing, articles, reviews, vendor directory — fully working
Coming Soon
Payment & subscription purchase — intentionally disabled for now
Your Goal
Click around and let Dave know what looks odd, confusing, or broken
FlavorsOfWine.com uses Internet Identity for logins — it's different from the usual username-and-password system. Instead of a password, it uses your device (phone fingerprint, Face ID, or PIN) to securely confirm who you are. Think of it like your phone's lock screen, but for websites.
Privacy note: Your Internet Identity is completely private. Dave cannot see your password — because there isn't one. He can only see your account ID and assign your role.
Each role has specific features to explore. Dave will tell you which role to test — you only need the section assigned to you.
No login required. Just browse.
Access
The full public directory — all articles, vendor listings, reviews gallery, and pricing pages.
Things to Try
Look for: Does it feel like a luxury wine site? Are cards readable? Do all links work?
Logged in but not on a paid plan.
Access
Everything a visitor can see, plus your personal Member Dashboard.
Things to Try
Entry-level paid tier.
Access
All free member features plus curated editorial content.
Things to Try
Mid-tier subscriber.
Access
All Basic features plus premium editorial and recommendations.
Things to Try
First tier of the premium Connoisseur membership.
Access
All subscriber content plus Connoisseur experience features.
Things to Try
Mid-level Connoisseur tier.
Access
Enhanced Connoisseur features and priority access.
Things to Try
The top-tier Connoisseur membership — our most prestigious level.
Access
Full Connoisseur experience, all editorial content, priority waitlist.
Things to Try
Any wine-related business with a listing on the platform.
Access
Your own Vendor Portal to create and manage business listings.
Things to Try
Look for: Is this professional enough that a real winery would trust the platform?
Reviews and manages editorial articles across all 39 subsections.
Access
Moderator Queue — Content Review tab only.
Things to Try
Role must be assigned by Dave via Admin Portal → Account Management.
Reviews and approves vendor listings before they go public.
Access
Moderator Queue — Listing Moderation tab only.
Things to Try
Role must be assigned by Dave via Admin Portal → Account Management.
Reviews and approves member reviews before they go public.
Access
Moderator Queue — Review Moderation + Platform Testimonials tabs.
Things to Try
Role must be assigned by Dave via Admin Portal → Account Management.
daviddonhobley@gmail.com — the only Administrator account on the platform.
Access
Everything — Admin Portal, CMS, all queues, all accounts.
Things to Try
A quick reference for what's live, what's coming soon, and who can access each feature.
| Feature | Status |
|---|---|
| Browse the wine directory | ✅ Live |
| Read editorial articles | ✅ Live |
| View vendor listings | ✅ Live |
| View reviews & ratings | ✅ Live |
| Newsletter signup | ✅ Live |
| Membership pricing page | ✅ Live |
| Write a review (text, stars, photo, video) | ✅ Live |
| Customer Portal (member dashboard) | ✅ Live |
| Vendor Directory with filters | ✅ Live |
| Vendor listing management | ✅ Live |
| Wine type selection & suggestions | ✅ Live |
| Content moderation queue | ✅ Live |
| Listing moderation queue | ✅ Live |
| Review moderation queue | ✅ Live |
| Admin Portal & CMS | ✅ Live |
| Upload utility (logo / background) | ✅ Live |
| Pay for membership | 🔜 Coming Soon |
| Upgrade / downgrade subscription | 🔜 Coming Soon |
| Vendor paid listing upgrade | 🔜 Coming Soon |
| Pairing, Recipe, Region, Vintage of the Month add-ons | 🔜 Coming Soon |
| Wine of the Month add-on | ⏳ Waitlist |
| Accessory of the Month add-on | ⏳ Waitlist |
Logging in as Dave (Admin)
You must be logged in as daviddonhobley@gmail.com to access the Admin Portal. If you see "Access Denied", log out and log back in — the system sometimes takes a few seconds to confirm your admin role.
After a new publish to the live site
The background image and logo need to be re-uploaded once through the Admin Upload Utility. This only happens the first time after a new publish — not every time. After the first upload, they stay permanently.
Reviews are real
When you write and submit a review, it's a real submission that goes into the moderation queue. It won't appear publicly until a Review Moderator approves it — so don't be surprised if your review doesn't show up immediately.
All payment buttons say "Coming Soon"
This is intentional! We haven't activated payments yet. Do not expect to complete a checkout. If you see a Coming Soon badge or overlay, that's working correctly.
Moderator queues may need a refresh
If you submit something (a review, a listing) and then immediately check the moderation queue, it may take a brief moment to appear. Give it 10–15 seconds and refresh the page if needed.
Mobile testing
The site is fully responsive and works on phones and tablets. Cards show 2 per row on mobile — that's intentional. Please let Dave know if anything looks squished or hard to read on your device.
External links open in a new tab
All links to outside websites open in a new browser tab — this is intentional so you don't accidentally navigate away from FlavorsOfWine.com.