Machine Learning programs and algorithms can identify which wines originate from which Bordeaux vineyards. This is a development which we could see coming. A team from the University of Geneva have analysed and completely identified the chemical components of 7 wines of various vintages from Bordeaux châteaux. The wines were all from renowned estates. This means that wines can now be protected from fraud. The researchers trained the computer programs to identify each wine based on a "chromatogram" analysis. The "chromatogram" was produced by vaporising a wine from the estate and analysing the components. The program could identify the particular terroir for the individual vineyard. This provides proof that terroir is influential in both the taste and quality of a wine. The algorithm was shown to be "100%" accurate when identifying a wine from its particular estate.
This technique could be used to identify every wine that is being produced. The program could be used by government authorities, retailers and wine buyers to identify fraud and wine substitution to ensure that consumers know the provenance of a wine. This is a particularly useful development and is a very good reason for deploying "AI" or Machine Learning techniques.
Anything the machine can do could be done by a human being with the exception of analysing a wine quickly and using the programs to analyse thousands of wine in short order.
This "Machine Learning" technique is, however, a double edged sword. If the components of a wine can be analysed with such effectiveness then it would be possible for a "Machine Generating" program to completely duplicate a wine, so that it would be impossible for a human being, or another machine, to tell whether the wine had been produced by natural means or not. What would happen to wine fraud then? It would be impossible to detect a fake.
A "Machine Learning" program could even mimic the year to year differences in weather and terroir. A machine would be able to tell whether a wine was any good or not so human judgement could be superseded and eliminated. What would happen to wine mythology and investment in powerful brand names and vintages? The whole of the wine business would be disrupted.
What will happen when a wine simply becomes a commodity produced by a machine? Viticulture could be eliminated from the wine production process along with natural vinification. New brand names could appear based on the effectiveness of a wine algorithm, there will be no need to cellar an artificial wine as the aging process could be built in to the algorithm. Wine making will become completely standardised and homogenised; any differences in taste will result from plug-in programs. All this will be coming soon; so I think that I might take to drinking beer instead but of course there would also be "AI" produced grog. Maybe a glass of "AI" water will have to suffice.
