MORELAND HILLS, Ohio – Humans beat AI in a four-course wine pairing competition Sept. 11 at Cru Uncorked. The results imply, perhaps, that consumers aren’t ready for robots to choose their wines.
RELATED: Ohio restaurant pits AI against human sommeliers at September wine event - cleveland.com
The competition was simple: The chef created a dinner menu, then sommeliers paired a wine from the restaurant’s cellar with each course. AI did the same.
On the night of the competition, two dozen diners tasted the wines blind with each course and voted for their favorite.
The results were mixed: The first course ended in a tie, humans won the second course, AI took the third course, and humans claimed victory in the fourth course, giving them the overall win.
“Overall, everyone did pretty well isolating which wines we chose and which wines AI chose,” said Chris Oppewall, president and sommelier at Cru Uncorked. “Surprisingly, the voting was very close. The tie score for the first course was a surprise to us. We felt the slightly sweet body of the Alsatian wine would be the ideal match with the wasabi and cucumber; the guests were divided on that course.”
The first course was seared tuna with wasabi cream, cucumber, avocado and sesame. Sommelier Janine Poleman had matched with 2022 Albert Boxler Edelswicker, a white blend from the Alsace region of France. Meanwhile, AI matched the course with a 2021 Joseph Colin “Clos de Meix” Saint-Aubin 1er Cru, a chardonnay from Burgundy.
AI explained its choice: “This Chardonnay offers laser-sharp acidity, flinty minerality and subtle citrus that cut through the richness of avocado and sesame while complementing the wasabi’s heat.”
While AI is often considered a way to improve productivity in the workplace, Oppewall said it’s not quite so easy. AI erred by choosing wines above the specified budget or recommending wines not on the restaurant’s cellar list.
“This still took a bunch of human effort to execute, and the AI had the advantage of picking from our already curated cellar,” he said. “Finding the combination that worked, that was in budget and that was from our cellar was somewhat time-consuming.”
During dinner, the sommeliers – Oppewall, Poleman and Anthony Taylor – informally polled the guests and found many have used AI when no sommelier was on hand.
“Those who have used AI report it being successful but prefer sommelier interaction to ensure they get a quality bottle,” Oppewall said. So, humans win in the pairing competition — and in customer service.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.