AI in the goblet: the latest hi-tech frontier revolutionises tasting

La Cyber Cuvée ideata dall’artista e designer Teo KayKay.

From grape to bottle

The contribution of a very fast artificial intelligence capable of analysing billions of data in a click is clear: errors and waste are avoided and winemakers are allowed to experiment more freely, with less environmental impact and more quality in the glass. But what happens when the wine is in the glass? Can a computer, no matter how 'intelligent', learn to taste a wine? Researchers at the Institute of Vine and Wine Sciences in Bordeaux worked to train AI to recognise wines and terroirs and tested it on 80 châteaux in Bordeaux. Result? A 100% accuracy rate in determining the provenance of each bottle, going so far as to identify whether it came from the Rive Gauche or Droite. HyperTaste, a sort of artificial palate created by IBM, with a simple stick to dip into the glass can tell whether we are talking about a wine from Piedmont or Tuscany and find any faults. No desire to replace sommeliers and tasters: the pleasure of taste remains a human prerogative, and it is on the tasting notes of hundreds of tasters in flesh, bone and palate that the AI trains. The aim, just as in the world of luxury brands, is to defeat attempts at counterfeiting, which are increasingly common for fine bottles.

L’etichetta di Teo KayKay, per la cuvée in edizione limitata Palazzo Lana “A.I. Inspired” di Guido Berlucchi & C

From blend to goblet

There is no doubt, however, that the most fascinating applications, for those who love to taste wine, are in the final stages of production. In Wisconsin, the Von Stiehl winery processes grapes that arrive from California and, for the 2023 cuvées, is collecting feedback from all consumers, which it will have analysed by artificial intelligence to produce the new 2024 wines, modifying the percentages of the blend according to the opinions collected. Even further ahead are the Frenchmen of Aubert & Mathieu who have asked AI to design a new cuvée from scratch, from the percentages of the grape varieties, to the label, to the name - the AI chose 'The End', perhaps a little disturbing - right down to the price and the marketing plan. It is an organic Languedoc with 60% Grenache and 40% Syrah. Presented in France in June 2023 in only 600 bottles, sold out in a few days, it is the first in a series of similar experiments already announced by the producers.

The End, il vino creato da ChatGpt.

A matter of etiquette

There was also much experimentation with brands and labels. For the Cyber Cuvée conceived by artist and designer Teo KayKay in collaboration with Pellegrini S.p.A, a millesimato 100% Meunier by Francis Orban produced in less than 500 bottles, artificial intelligence created the name, design and marketing strategy. Each bottle, numbered on the bottom, is a work of art: there are six different labels, applied by hand. In Argentina, the Mendoza-based company Cimarrón Wines has harnessed AI to design the 'Entre Gallos y Medianoche' Malbec label. The label of the future has an abstract design and includes dynamic elements that change according to temperature and light, and it is also possible to purchase the NFT attached to the bottle. In Italy, again Teo KayKay worked on a project for Guido Berlucchi & C., one of Franciacorta's benchmark brands. The artist created a beautiful new label for the Palazzo Lana 'A.I. Inspired' limited edition cuvée. Not only that. During tastings, the sensory inputs provided by the tasters - synaesthesia of colours, textures, evoked aromas of flowers and fruit, flavours linked to food - are entered by the artist on the MidJourney app, which returns a picture of the sensations experienced during the tasting. A glance even for those who have not tried that wine, but want to understand the sensations it gives with a glance. And perhaps hang the print in the living room.

BOX

Wines aged on the seabed by Shop.underwaterwines.com

AI white and AI red wines from Von Stiehl Winery are online at Artificialintelligencewines.com.

The End, the wine created by ChatGpt, can be found at https://aubertetmathieu.com for EUR 29.90.

Cimarron Wines on Cimarronwinesco.com.

The Cyber Cuvée and other limited edition or unique champagnes can be found at Pellegriniprivatestock.com.

History and info on the Berlucchi Palazzo Lana AI Inspired cuvée at Berlucchi.it/palazzo-lana-ai-inspired

Teo KayKay's works are on shop.teokaykay.com