What does AI actually mean for the wine in our glasses?
That was the question behind a recent tasting I hosted with Winston Taylor, following a talk on AI in technology and business.
They wanted the wine tasting to connect with the evening’s discussion, so I chose wines that gave us a chance to explore how producers are using technology and where AI might take them next.
My view? I’m not convinced AI is revolutionising wine just yet, but there are some developments I’m quite excited about.
There’s plenty of talk about predicting which wines we’ll buy and helping wineries understand their customers. Producers have always wanted to understand what people enjoy drinking, and AI could help them make better use of the information already available through their sales and marketing.
The vineyard is another area with real potential.
One of the wines I included was from Château Montelena in Napa Valley. Their team uses sensors to identify water stress before it becomes visible to the naked eye, helping them make more precise irrigation decisions and reduce water use.
We also discussed Willamette Valley Vineyards in Oregon, which has been trialling robots that move through the vines at night, using UV light to combat powdery mildew.
These are examples of technology and automation already at work. I can see AI building on that progress, helping growers interpret the data and make better-informed decisions.
I loved having that connection between the talk and the tasting. The wines gave us something tangible to explore together, carrying the theme of the evening into a different kind of conversation.
