“Alexa, what wine pairs best with …?” Can you be overheard dictating into your phone on the wine aisle in the grocery store, asking your A.I. which wines will pair the best for tonight’s dinner? Last year I conducted Round 1 of Super Taster vs A.I. by picking two wines, a white and a red, that I thought would pair best with some amazing street tacos and pizza. I then asked Siri, Alexa, and Google to do the same. I won last year, but as technology continues to accelerate could I again prevail? Is A.I. now good enough to make those who go through the arduous wine-accreditation courses as irrelevant as a rotary dial telephone? Fight’s On!
Last year the A.I. choices did well, but the tasters agreed that my picks did better because the wines I picked had greater levels of complexity whereas the A.I. picks were simpler, one dimensional. BUT, this year I am using ChatGPT’s paid “Deep Research” function. So… This year’s Challenge: Pick two wines that cost $30 or less; a white that would pair best with steamed mussels in a shallot, garlic, white wine cream sauce, and a red that would pair best with pan seared grassfed ribeye, baked sweet potato, and roasted broccoli with sweet peppers, with wines sourced locally.
I made my picks first to be fair and here is how I approached it. I always look for wines that enhance similar flavors and complement the contrasting ones. I call these wines “both” wines. My secret weapon on the white side, especially in the $20-$30 range, the “V’s,” Viognier and Verdejo. They live between Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. My choice was Nisia’s Verdejo from Rueda Spain at $18. I had two immediate thoughts for the red. My first thought took me to Syrah, then second a cool climate old vine Zinfandel. They both have similar profiles so cost would be my determining factor. After a local search I went with the Zinfandel, Truett-Hurst Old Vine Zin from Sonoma at $26.
The overwhelming choice from all three A.I.’s was a Sauvignon Blanc. They didn’t specify which Sauvignon Blanc, so I found the best one at $30 or less; Amici’s Sonoma Sauvignon Blanc. We used ChatGPT’s Deep Research function for the red and entered the following: “I am hosting a dinner in Pensacola FL. With a per bottle wine purchase maximum of $30, provide the best wine that will pair with a dinner featuring grass-fed ribeye, baked sweet potato, roasted broccoli with sweet peppers.” ChatGPT’s Deep Research #1 pick; Beringer Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.
The Results. The tasting panel included some of the most well renowned wine connoisseurs in the Panhandle! The white wine winner was the Sauvignon Blanc. My tasting panel liked the higher citrus note which cut through the butter cream sauce but still let the flavor of the mussel come through. I personally liked the Verdejo, preferring its roundness of stone fruit and pineapple to the Sauvignon Blanc’s citrus. 1 point to A.I. The red wine winner was the Zinfandel. Everyone agreed that it just paired a little bit better with everything than the Cab. I personally thought that both were not that good, proving just how hard it is to find good wines for less than $30 these days! 1 point to Man!
So, a tie. What did we learn this round? Knowledge, experience, and creativity do still matter, but those of us in the world of wine must continue to hone our skills! I believe that if we pair the best people in wine with latest in A.I., not blindly following what A.I. gives us, rather letting it aid in our creative ideas, we will see a new era of wine emerge before us. Cheers to that!
Article by Alex Boykin
Photography by Provided
Originally published in Pensacola City Lifestyle