Can a product as noble as wine still be good to consume if it's no longer 100% created by humans? That's a big question. Artificial intelligence is gradually invading the wine world, and more and more winemakers seem ready to use it in the winemaking process. Who knows, you yourself may have already unknowingly tasted one of these AI-produced vintages...

Artificial intelligence: from recommendation to winemaking

In my previous article, I mentioned the development of Tastry and the small revolution that accompanied it in terms of wine recommendations to consumers .

After releasing her apps BottleBird and Tastry Uncorked, Katerina Axelsson, the founder of Tastry, was already considering another project.

With the immense amount of data accumulated through the analysis of its partners' wines, Tastry has also been able to become a cutting-edge service to directly support the entire wine world .

Thanks to artificial intelligence, the start-up is able to identify a large amount of data such as the chemical compounds and aromatic profiles of each wine and "predict" whether this wine will be appreciated by consumers .

(I invite you for a brief moment to reflect on the implications of this technology for the entire wine industry in the years to come.)

Winetech and AI are disrupting wine production

Many  startups in Belgium, France, Australia, and the United States are seeking to support wine industry stakeholders, the winemaking process, and vineyard management. In this business, Tastry has a slight head start. The company currently offers several solutions for winegrowers, including:

• CompuBlend  : A tool for analyzing  flavor profiles and chemical data from vintages, useful for determining which blends are likely to appeal to people
• Insights Dashboard  : A dashboard that  compares  the chemical data of a wine (or grapes) to that of competing wines and relates them to consumer tastes
• Tastry Uncorked  : A website plugin  for wineries and retailers to help buyers navigate their tasting experience and wine selection

Why would winemakers use artificial intelligence?

In the collective imagination,  the  winemaker  knows  his trade and  his  terroir. He is the guarantor of know-how and traditions that  make wine  so beautiful   . We like to think that he doesn't need a machine  to explain  his  work to him  .

Either.

In reality, a winemaker is first and foremost a business owner who runs a winery that is extremely dependent on climate change  and  legal, ecological, and social constraints  . I would also add that equipment in the cellar and vineyards is expensive, not to mention salaries. And  I would also point out  the marketing and communication aspect, which is often very costly for small  businesses.

As you will have understood:  producing  wine is expensive.

All it takes is one  bad harvest +  a few  vintages that are a little less qualitative than usual to weaken  the vineyards ' cash flow , at the risk of making them disappear.  Overall, with each harvest, a winegrower no longer has the right to make a mistake . 

Can we blame winegrowers for simply wanting to continue to exist in order to delight their customers?

As an analytical and support tool (not a replacement), AI is becoming very useful for  winemakers navigating a highly competitive landscape. This technology helps in particular to:

• make decisions faster in the winemaking process
• develop the best aromatic combinations
• design new  offers  for specific markets (France, USA, Belgium, etc.)
• guarantee an optimal level of quality from the vine to the  bottle
• avoid business failures and bankruptcies
• find new customers
• save money and time for other tasks

Tastry, and more broadly all startups using artificial intelligence ( Fruition Sciences ,  Sublivin , etc.), simply offer viable solutions to secure production and sales in order to protect the cash flow of wineries. The founder of Tastry says it herself: "I wanted to create a bridge between the objectives of the domain and the expectations of consumers." Quite simply.

Will AI eventually replace winemakers?

Here's a great question that's sure to liven up our future tasting evenings! It's true that artificial intelligence is shaking up our codes and habits. It gives the impression of prohibiting error, subjectivity, and chance.

Above all, it's a response to  consumers' growing demands for wine. We like to explore, and we're less loyal to brands.  Our grandparents liked to buy their wine from the same  winemaker  every year, even if the vintage was more average than usual. We would surely be less inclined to do the same today, given  the sheer number of options on the market.

Which brings me to the point that it's not the wine we love, but the experience around it , the sharing, the conviviality and the memories it offers. A passionate winemaker remains passionate, whatever the technologies he or she uses in his or her vineyards or in the cellar. And nothing will ever stop him or her from  using his or her own senses to create beautiful wines!

In this news series on AI  in the wine business, I also invite you to discover:

• AI and tasting feedback
• technological innovation at the service of viticulture