How Artificial Intelligence is Making a Real Impact on the Wine Industry

There are some things artificial intelligence can’t do with wine — like taste it. Despite that, about everything else related to your wine business could be enhanced with AI. 

AI is particularly good at tracking, processing and analyzing data, and there’s useful data everywhere, from the vineyard to the tasting room to the back office. AI-powered tools can also automate routine tasks, freeing you up to focus on the wine. The key is finding AI tools that deliver real value. 

AI in the Vineyard 

Vineyards contain a treasure trove of information about soil and plant nutrients, carbon and water levels, and threats like pests and diseases. AI-powered tools can help tap into that data and make helpful predictions. 

Agritech startups like Deep Planet are developing and deploying tools that improve efficiency and suggest the ideal time to harvest grapes for maximum quality and quantity. VineSignal, Deep Planet’s wine product, can detect soil carbon, a 1% increase of which can “hold 138,000 liters of water per hectare, potentially saving 41 billion liters annually across 100,000 hectares,” according to Wine Industry Advisor. Deep Planet’s project “could result in 33 million tons of CO2 sequestration, earning 33 million carbon credits” valued at $1 billion over a quarter century.  

These tools are already making an impact. In Australia, Koonara Winery has used AI to identify and supplement missing minerals and maintain its streak of not using herbicides or pesticides. In Napa, Gamble Family has invested in AI-enhanced tractors with sensors that analyze crops and allow them to “make real-time adjustments and provide long-term yield estimates.” As Wine Industry Advisor reports, “comprehensive data” is available for as little as $2 per hectare per year, putting adoption well within reach for many wineries.  

AI in the Back Office 

Wineries can also use AI to automate various processes, improving efficiency and productivity on the back end. A multifaceted tool like Microsoft Copilot can help wineries: 

• Fill sales orders more quickly 

• Save time on matching and reconciling orders with AP 

• Manage finances more efficiently while also making records more accurate  

With many winemakers operating with a small staff, AI-powered automation can allow them to do more with less, reducing or cutting out time-consuming tasks that add up quickly and stretch office workers thin.  

Of course, wineries also have several unique concerns that the average software solution won’t address out of the box. Power Apps can help your winery harness AI to create custom applications that meet those concerns, even if you have minimal or zero coding knowledge. For example, imagine building an app that allows you to keep track of things like state-specific bottle bills or perform tax compliance tasks. Recent AI innovations make that possible — yet the most significant hurdle may be embracing change. 

Understanding AI and Getting Buy-in 

The wine industry is steeped in tradition, so buy-in can be tough. Wineries willing to look forward, such as Koonara and Gamble Family, will likely gain major competitive advantages over wineries that stand pat. 

If you’re worried about buy-in, it may help to know that 75% of knowledge workers already use AI in their day-to-day work. This means it may be a good strategy to implement AI in your back office first. Office workers are more likely to have already embraced it, and when it produces tangible gains in efficiency and productivity, you can point to those successes to get buy-in from the vineyard. 

As with any new tech tool, there will be a mix of enthusiastic early adopters and staunch skeptics. Getting them all on the same page can be a challenge, and that’s where an expert tech partner can step in.  

Get Help from a Tech Partner 

To make sure you’re properly leveraging tech and gaining adoption, it helps to have a collaborative tech partner to guide the way. Enavate is a general ERP/Cloud expert, plus has plenty of wine-specific experience. Our VinPoint platform has helped winemakers modernize, improve and simplify their accounting processes for years. To learn more about how your winery can use AI to the fullest, reach out to our team today.