Ask the Sommelier
Get AI-powered guidance to help connect your tasting observations to potential wine varietals and regions. Think of it as having a friendly sommelier coach by your side.
What is Ask the Sommelier?
Ask the Sommelier is an AI deduction assistant built into Vine Savant's tasting grids. After you've recorded your observations about a wine's appearance, aroma, and palate, you can tap the "Ask the Sommelier" button to receive personalized guidance.
The sommelier analyzes your specific observations and suggests which varietals and regions best match what you're tasting. It explains why certain characteristics point to specific wines, helping you learn the connections between what you taste and what's in the glass.
When to Use It
The Ask the Sommelier button appears in the conclusions section of your tasting grid—after you've completed your appearance, nose, and palate observations. This is intentional: the AI needs your observations to provide meaningful guidance.
Best Times to Ask
- When you're stuck: You've noted observations but can't connect them to a specific wine
- To confirm a hunch: You think you know the wine but want validation
- For learning: You want to understand why certain characteristics suggest specific varietals
How It Works
- Complete your observations: Fill in the appearance, nose, and palate sections of your tasting grid
- Navigate to conclusions: The Ask the Sommelier button appears in the verdict/conclusions section
- Tap the button: You'll see "Consulting the Sommelier..." while the AI analyzes your notes
- Review the guidance: A sheet appears with the sommelier's analysis and suggestions
Understanding the Results
The sommelier provides three key pieces of information:
💡 Reasoning
A 2-3 sentence explanation of how your observations connect to potential wines. This is the educational heart of the feature—it helps you understand the "why" behind wine identification.
🍇 Top 3 Varietals
The three grape varieties that best match your observations, ranked by confidence. Each suggestion includes the key markers (tasting characteristics) that support it.
🗺️ Top 3 Regions
The three wine regions that best match your observations, also ranked by confidence with supporting markers.
Confidence Levels
Each suggestion shows a confidence level indicated by dots:
- ●●● High: Your observations strongly match this wine's typical characteristics
- ●●○ Medium: Good match with some of the key markers
- ●○○ Likely: Possible match worth considering
Key Markers
Below each suggestion, you'll see "key markers"—the specific tasting characteristics that support that recommendation. For example, a Pinot Noir suggestion might show markers like "red cherry • earth • mushroom".
These markers help you understand which of your observations the AI found most significant for that particular wine.
Tips for Best Results
- Be thorough with observations: The more detailed your notes, the better the AI can guide you. Don't skip sections of the tasting grid.
- Use specific descriptors: "Red fruit" is good, but "red cherry" or "raspberry" is better. Specific observations lead to specific recommendations.
- Note structural elements: Acidity, tannin levels, and body are crucial differentiators. A high-acid wine points to very different varietals than a low-acid wine.
- Read the reasoning: Don't just look at the suggestions—read why the sommelier made them. This is where the real learning happens.
- Use it as a learning tool: Even if you think you know the wine, asking the sommelier can reveal connections you hadn't considered.