Anthony Gismondi: How AI will change marketing drinks to consumers

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If you haven’t heard enough about AI, get ready for it to invade your wine-buying habits. According to The Drinks Business: “The landscape for drinks retailing is changing, and so too are the ways the sector is being guided. As consumers become more intuitive with AI, drinks retailers are following suit.”

As you might expect, AI is helping to keep freight and supply chains on time and within budget. But as retailers reduce staff and basic human contact in stores, AI could end up deciding which wines make it to the shelves. Proponents argue that AI is becoming more intelligent and wiser. Still, given the wine selection algorithms that flood my feed daily, it’s hard to believe AI is going to be an improvement.

On the front or consumer side of the shelves, supermarkets are exploring digital price tags, interactive shelf displays and even smart barcode replacements to engage shoppers in real time. Marketing drinks to consumers will no longer rely on a whim and a prayer.

Unfortunately, most of this technology will be employed to sell average wines that, frankly, all taste the same and live and die on the shelves based on label or brand recognition and price. Real wine, or wine that can enhance your lifestyle and promote moderation and discussion at the dinner table, is always made by real people, sold by real people, and originates from authentic wine lands.

To be clear, none of this is happening in B.C. government stores, where even basic e-commerce is still nonexistent. The monopoly’s resistance to entering the technical age could be a plus for shoppers who have no interest in scanning bottles in the aisle, watching a video, or worse, being studied by cameras as they peruse the shelves.

AI is purported to be able to do many things humans can’t, from working tirelessly 24/7 to solving myriad issues from shipping to shelving with efficiency, and more importantly, improving the bottom line of retailers along the way. The problem is that none of this improves the lot of consumers who face limited selection, too many big brands, and all of it at ever-higher prices.

I argue that genuine wine buyers are well-researched and know precisely what they are looking for when they shop. The problem is that the wines they want are not on the shelves, overcrowded with big brands. Enter AI again, but this time, it’s likely not in a way that helps the consumer. AI assistants, such as chatbots, will become as crucial as in-store digital information or online ads, especially as human in-store assistance dwindles, leaving you to seek advice from fellow shoppers in the aisles.

AI champions are advising producers to find ways to share their product messages with both AI information banks and consumers, as AI will be playing a more significant role in recommending wines to consumers who are comfortable with the technology.

As odd as it sounds, personalization is at the root of AI’s power. By analyzing data points such as your browsing habits and purchase history, retailers can build personalized shopping experiences that drive loyalty.

And here I thought that meeting three generations of family winery owners or standing in a biodynamic vineyard, feeling the afternoon wind and smelling the wild herbs, was the best way to get to know a wine. Fasten your seatbelt, it’s going to be a bumpy ride.

Weekend wine picks

Tormaresca Calafuria 2024, Salento, Puglia, Italy

$29.99 I 89/100

UPC: 8026530000480

This peach-pink Negroamaro Rosato is grown on the Maìme estate in San Pietro Vernotico, near the Adriatic. The property is owned by the Antinori family and made under the Tormaresca name in Puglia. You may be surprised by how fresh, juicy, and vibrant this strawberry-scented Rosé is, while all the while remaining Italian, dry, and food-friendly. Expect a creamy texture and fresh citrus-sprayed pear and strawberry fruit. It’s all Italian with a hint of a Provençal look — a winner now in 750mL bottles.

Menade Rueda Verdejo Ecologico 2022, Rueda, Castilla-Leon, Spain

$24.99 I 89/100

UPC: 8437008963075

The Menade nose opens with a balanced combination of white fruit aromas that mix with herbaceous and dried scrub elements. On the palate, it’s vibrant and fresh, pitching ripe citrus and lime notes complemented by hints of sweet mango. It’s moderately rich without becoming cloying; in fact, the finish comes with a touch of water to give it a juicy drink-me style. Shellfish, anyone?

Monte Antico Toscano 2020, Santa Lucia, Pisa, Tuscany, Italy

$19.99 I 88/100

UPC: 726452006307

Monte Antico was founded in 1977 by Neil and Maria Empson, spurred on by their love for Tuscany. The Empsons asked a longtime friend, famed winemaker Franco Bernabei, to style a blend of 85/10/5 Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. Most years, this wine overdelivers for its price and role as a mid-week dinner wine that won’t break the bank. It is a soft style Sangiovese with bright red flavours of cherries and plums with a subtle dusting of oak. Ready to drink with a funghi pizza or pasta dish. Good value.

Moon Curser Tempranillo 2022, Osoyoos, Okanagan Valley

$38.99 I 89/100

UPC: 626990114666

A rare Tempranillo is grown on a pair of sandy, siliceous, and granite sites on the East Bench’s southwest-facing slope. It opens with a medium dark indigo tint. The attack is juicy, with plenty of savoury black cherry flavours, some bright acidity that runs through the finish. It is a touch on the rustic side, but otherwise pleasant drinking, and indeed a wine you can enjoy with grilled lamb or sausages. Drink or hold, there’s no rush.

Tightrope Winery Syrah 2022, Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley

$40 I 93/100

UPC: 626990244387

The 2022 95/5 Syrah/Viognier was co-fermented and aged for one year in 100 per cent French oak, 50 per cent of which was new. The fruit comes from a west-facing, steep slope on the Upper Naramata Bench. It is the best we have seen from Tightrope and among the best we have tasted in B.C. Despite all the new French oak, it has been easily absorbed by this elegant, flavourful, peppery edition that is all Northern Rhone in style. Violet florals and sweet plum and desert brush notes add complexity to the wine from front to back. The finish is all silk and class. Well done.

B.C. wine of the week

Dirty Laundry Vineyard Let’s Get Fizzical  2024, Washington

$21.99 I 88/100

UPC: 696852158923

Dirty laundry is always about fun, and even this Washington version of Let’s get Fizzical answers the bell with a candied orchard fruit aroma and flavour profile of apricots and honeydew melon that dances across your palate. It delivers under control, thanks to reasonable acidity and a persistent bead of relatively small bubbles. Yes, it is Prosecco-like and fresh. Ready to drink.

Value wine of the week

Hampton Water 2024, France

$25.99 I 90/100

UPC: 03514123111477

Jon Bon Jovi and his son Jesse have achieved notable success with their wine venture, Hampton Water, a Rosé described as “Born in France and raised in The Hamptons.” Collaborating with renowned French winemaker Gérard Bertrand, whose expertise in Rosé is widely recognized, the pair crafted a wine that appeals directly to Rosé enthusiasts. Hampton Water Rosé, first released in 2018, is a blend of 60 per cent Grenache, 15 per cent Cinsault, 15 per cent Mourvèdre and 10 per cent Syrah. The wine is, as you would expect, fresh and lively, with strawberry and citrus aromas and flavours that finish dry. It is aged in new oak, but you don’t feel it. Celebrity wines seldom deliver authenticity, but in this case, the Bon Jovi family has demonstrated a commitment by partnering with an experienced winemaker and maintaining a clear focus on the wine itself. On sale until Sept. 27.

Calendar items

Mekong, Whistler Creekside’s destination for contemporary southeast Asian cuisine, is excited to welcome Bangkok’s celebrated chefs Duangporn (Bo) Songvisava and Dylan Jones of Bo.lan for an exclusive one-night collaboration dinner on Saturday, Oct. 18. The husband-and-wife team behind Bo.lan — once a Michelin-starred restaurant and named among the world’s 50 best — is recognized internationally for their dedication to authentic Thai cuisine and sustainability. They are also known for their feature in Netflix’s Chef’s Table. Tickets are $250 per person and are available online with two seating choices – 5 and 8 p.m. Guests will experience a four-course menu, each paired with curated wine and non-alcoholic pairings.

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New European rules have made foil caps optional for sparkling wines. The Champagne marketing board (CIVC) initially opposed this change and attempted to make foil caps mandatory through the National Institute of Origin and Quality (INAO). The CIVC producers later dropped the initiative after research indicated that consumers perceive foil caps as a distinctive sign of Champagne and often prefer bottles with them. However, the absence of a foil does not diminish the buyer’s overall preference for Champagne. The CIVC determined there is no significant risk to industry image or sales if some companies stop using foil caps, and removing them may appeal to environmentalists who view the caps as unnecessary and wasteful.