1-800-Sommelier to A.I. Sommelier
I played around with Google's Gemini A.I. and an extensive restaurant wine list. This is what I discovered...
Hey readers & club members. Today I post my latest Napa Valley Register column. The piece took an interesting turn - explanation’s in the story. If you’re not yet a Register subscriber, please consider. They have a great 3 month deal for dippin’ the toes.
¡Attenzione!
I am co-hosting an Italian food and wine trip stravaganza (that’s fancy for EXTRAVAGANZA). Join me for trip to PIEDMONT: Barolo, Barbaresco, Torino. Slow Food Cheese Festival, taste at GAJA, Luigi Pira and more top-end producers (during harvest, no less). A truffle hunt, cooking class, deep dive into Vermouth…so so much. I have partnered with Napa’s ENV Travel to create this awesome trip. Now, all we need is YOU!
Read all about the trip (winery visits are not yet complete) and contact me to book your spot and ask questions. ¡Grazi!
EVENTS
Few seats left for the Italian Wine Dinner at Napa’s Foodshed on May 12. I’ve scheduled the next Road Trip - heading to Sonoma May 25. Monday Afternoon Tastings are going strong. If you’ve been thinking about joining the EDC Club for access or best prices to all my events, how about now? I’m a member they’re a member he’s a member she’s a member wouldn’t you like to be a member too?
From 1-800-Sommelier to A.I. Somm
Fifteen years ago my wife Holly and I co-wrote a wine column in The Register called “Honey, What Am I Drinking?” (Here’s one we wrote in 2010 - Register subscription required.) The premise was the wine-loving wife, not in the wine business, is guided in her wine appreciation by me, the “expert.” We covered two perspectives and dropped a few nuggets of useful wine information as we did so. The column was such a hit that, no joke, folks complimented us on it ten years after the fact, thinking they had just read a new “Honey…” Here’s an excerpt from “1-800-Sommelier” written in February 2010:
“At a steak house with colleagues, Holly was handed the wine list to order for the table. After narrowing down the possibilities based on price, she dialed. Dan listened to the options (Facetime was to launch in June 2010 by the way) and Dan selected a Gigondas, a red wine from the Rhone Valley in the South of France. Gigondas is a village, and the wines made from the vineyards in and around the village are named Gigondas. It’s a strong wine with abundant fruit, pepper and smoky flavors—a perfect match with steak. It was a hit! Everyone loved the wine, and wanted to know more about it. In fact, the general manager, curious to know who had ordered this rarely-ordered wine, brought the wine to the table himself. Job well done, 1-800-Sommelier!”
Not bad, right? Engaging, shows a human relationship with wine, and plugs a wine you may not be familiar with. Maybe I can convince Holly to sometime make a guest appearance for a “Honey What Am I Drinking” takeover here at Eat Drink Cook.
This is where the column was going to segue into my professional tips on how to order wine at a restaurant if you don’t have a 1-800-Sommelier. Know your budget, talk to the somm, have fun with it…it’s all been written and videoed ad nauseam, and very well mind you. (Check out Ray Isle, Wine Folly and “V Is For Vino” for three great sources.) Also, most of the “how to order wine at a restaurant” advice relies on you engaging the knowledge and skills of the restaurant staff, be it a sommelier, server, owner, whatever. But what if there’s no one around to help? Restaurants with proud wine lists, whether it’s 15 or 500 selections, can’t always have an expert ready to help you.
What then?
A.I. Sommelier at your service – helping you pick the perfect wine from an overwhelming list of possibilities. Let’s see just how intelligent it is, in spring 2025, in making wine recommendations.
For this game I downloaded the wine list from Napa’s TORC Restaurant. The wine and beverage list pdf, found on their website, has over 400 wine entries. For the artificial intelligence, A.I., I used Google’s Gemini as it constantly updates itself. In goes the TORC wine list. I’m working from my laptop but you can do the same from your phone…you can also take a picture of a wine list and submit it. The world we live in…
The TORC wine list is perfect for this game as it’s comprehensive and filled with a variety of grapes, regions, countries and price points. It’s one of Napa Valley’s best wine lists to complement their outstanding food and service. I’ll note here that TORC is not a restaurant where you’ll be lost in the wilderness as the staff is highly trained on the food menu, and wine education is ongoing. TORC is a good restaurant to play “Man vs Machine” and see who makes the most satisfying recommendation!
A.I. Sommelier Failures
First, a couple of pitfalls of the A.I. Sommelier. It doesn’t necessarily identify a wine by grape if it’s identified on the list by category. For example, there are nine Abreu Vineyards wines under the Cabernet Sauvignon section. But since they’re not written “Abreu Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon,” the wines will not appear when you ask, “What Cabernet Sauvignons do you have.” An easy fix should the restaurant care to, or wait for A.I. to figure it out – won’t be long I’m sure. Oddly though, A.I. Sommelier did identify all the Chenin Blancs on the list – none named as such, just under the Chenin Blanc heading. Makes me think it identifies the place (Vouvray, etc) as being a Chenin Blanc. Stepping deeper into the weeds, I ask for the Nebbiolos on the list and it fails to list the Barolos, Barbarescos etc on the list. But it DOES say “to find Nebbiolo search for the regions that make it: Barolo, Barbesco…” I could go on and on about the head-scratching search results. Bet you a year from now I won’t be scratching so much.
A.I. Sommelier Cool Stuff and My Grades
Two questions I might ask the restaurant somm or server, and A.I. Somm’s reply, using the TORC wine list. I follow with my grade.
Recommend two medium-bodied, spicy red wines around $125/bottle.
A.I. Somm’s Answer:
"Spicy" can manifest in different ways, from peppery notes to hints of cinnamon or clove. Medium-bodied wines have a weight that falls between lighter reds like Pinot Noir and heavier ones like Cabernet Sauvignon. Here are two options that fit this description and price range, based on typical characteristics of the grape varieties and regions:
2018 MORLET FAMILY VINEYARDS 'Bouquet Garni', SYRAH, Bennett Valley, Sonoma County, CA ($185) Why it fits: Syrah is well-known for its spicy notes, often exhibiting black pepper, clove, and sometimes even smoky undertones. Bennett Valley in Sonoma County can produce Syrahs with a good balance of fruit and savory complexity, likely falling into the medium-bodied category. The price point seems to align with the request.
2022 DOMAINE VERSET A&E (EMMANUELLE VERSET) 'Signature', SYRAH, Cornas, Northern Rhône Valley, France ($152) Why it fits: Wines from Cornas in the Northern Rhône are almost exclusively Syrah and are renowned for their intense, often peppery and earthy character. They typically have a medium to full body but can lean towards medium-bodied with elegance. The price for Northern Rhône wines of this caliber often falls around $125.
Both of these Syrah-based wines offer the spicy notes you're looking for and should have a medium body that isn't too heavy. The regional characteristics and typical pricing make them good candidates for your request.
My Gemini A.I. Grade: C+
I like A.I.’s explanation of the terms used (spicy, medium-bodied, Syrah, Cornas). Both recommendations are good, but they’re both Syrahs, and well over $125 by the way. Next I searched for the same thing, adding “not Syrah” and got a Barolo and a French Grenache/Syrah. Human Somm would likely point out the Zinfandels from Brown Estate, Outpost and Turley, all under $125, for consideration. OK, here’s another, asking A.I. Somm to pair food & wine.
Recommend a wine to pair with Schmitz Ranch HERITAGE PORK CHOP, nước chấm, vietnamese rice cake, sugar snap peas.
A.I. Somm’s Answer:
This dish presents a delightful combination of richness, savory umami, sweetness, and fresh, bright notes. Here's a breakdown of the flavors and textures to consider for a wine pairing:
Richness: The pork chop will have a certain richness, especially if it has good marbling.
Savory & Umami: The nước chấm (Vietnamese dipping sauce) will contribute significant savory and umami flavors, often with a balance of fish sauce, sugar, lime juice, and chili.
Sweetness: Nước chấm often has a touch of sweetness.
Texture: The pork chop will be substantial, while the rice cake will offer a different texture, and the sugar snap peas will provide a crisp element.
Acidity & Freshness: Lime in the nước chấm and the freshness of the sugar snap peas bring acidity and brightness.
Considering these elements, here are a couple of wine recommendations from the list that could work well, aiming for something with enough body to stand up to the pork but with the acidity and aromatic complexity to complement the other components:
2022 FLOWERS WINERY Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast ($76)
Why it might work: Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir often exhibits bright red fruit flavors, earthy undertones, and good acidity. The acidity will cut through the richness of the pork, while the fruit can complement any subtle sweetness in the dish. Pinot Noir's generally lighter tannins won't clash with the umami of the nước chấm, and its savory notes can harmonize with the pork. The aromatic complexity can also play well with the herbs and spices potentially present.
2023 TRIENNES, Rosé Méditerranée I.G.P., Provence, France ($30/375 ML) Why it might work: A well-structured rosé from Provence can be surprisingly versatile. This blend offers a bit more body and complexity than a lighter rosé. The bright acidity will be fantastic with the nước chấm and sugar snap peas. The red fruit notes can offer a counterpoint to the savory pork, and the blend might have subtle spicy or herbal notes that could complement the Vietnamese flavors. It's a refreshing option that can handle a range of flavors without being too heavy.
While a richer white wine like a dry Riesling with some texture could also be considered, these two red/rosé options from the list seem like the most compelling choices to balance the diverse elements of the Schmitz Ranch pork chop dish. The Pinot Noir offers elegance and savory complexity, while the Provençal rosé provides refreshing acidity and a broader fruit profile.
My grade: B+
The pork chop ingredient break down is impressive, and the explanation of matching the wines with the food is truly Master Somm worthy. You can tell Gemini has put work into this. The rosé is a good call, but it only comes in half-bottle (A.I. Somm didn’t notice that), and to be honest Triennes Rosé is just OK. It does inspire me to look at the other rosés on the list, and the Domaines Ott – Château Rommasan from Bandol ($105) is an inspired choice. As for the Pinot Noir, A.I. Somm picks the Flowers Pinot most of the time because it’s the only Pinot Noir it identifies – back to the category heading problem. Choosing a Pinot Noir is a good idea, and the Flowers is fine, but when you’re at TORC ask Human Somm to take you to the finish line.
While we still use A.I. like a party game, we now know, clear as day, everything A.I. related is our now and will grow exponentially in our future. Somms no exception. Round & round it goes. Where it stops, nobody knows.
You made it: the end of this week’s Eat Drink Cook: a life-journal from a Napa Valley dad, wine expert and enthusiastic cook. I provide pithy commentary on food and wine, or up to twelve subjects, often intertwined, with an emphasis on food, wine, cooking, being a dad and just a guy enjoying these crazy times the best I can. Read me for food & wine tips, recipes, and stuff I come across that you may find interesting too.