On the 2nd, at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, James Suckling stated, “Korea is the second-largest wine-consuming country in Asia after Japan,” and expressed his pleasure at meeting young Koreans passionate about wine through the tasting event. Reporter Park Hyung-ki onehsot@donga.com
“Even if I am no longer in this world someday, I wanted to leave a 'legacy' that could continue 'James Suckling's Wine Ratings.'”
On the 2nd, at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, James Suckling explained his reason for developing artificial intelligence (AI) recently. Recognized by Forbes as one of the most influential wine critics in the world, he has been developing 'Wine AI' for about two and a half years.
Suckling stated, “Currently, we are discussing demos with Saltlux, a Korean company, and in Thailand,” and added, “We plan to train the AI on my wine evaluation methods through tasting notes, articles, and voice recordings I have written.”
He visited Korea for the 'Great Wines of the World' (GWW) event held on the 3rd. Together with his Korean wife, Marie, Suckling conducts the Great Wines of the World wine tasting events in major cities worldwide every year. In Asia, the events are held in Korea, Bangkok, Tokyo, and Hong Kong.
At this year's tasting event in Korea, over 260 wines that received 92 points or higher from Suckling were showcased. These were selected from over 20,000 bottles tasted over the year. Suckling evaluates wines on a 100-point scale, considering color (15 points), aroma (25 points), texture (25 points), and quality (35 points). This score significantly influences not only consumers but also the global wine market trends.
Currently, the wine recommendation application (app) Vivino is widely used. However, it has limitations as wine ratings are influenced by the subjective taste of the evaluator. In contrast, the AI developed by Suckling can provide professional wine recommendations based on over 250,000 wine tasting notes he has written.
He noted, “While aroma and taste are subjective, the texture, which combines alcohol content, wine acidity, and tannins, is not,” and added, “These elements can be measured objectively, making it possible for AI to recommend wines tailored to individual preferences.”
They also expressed a special affection for Korean wine enthusiasts. Marie, who participated in the interview, said, “Korean fans not only enjoy the tasting events but also have a strong desire to learn about wine,” and added, “As a Korean woman, it is touching to see the Korean wine market grow.”
ⓒ dongA.com. All rights reserved. Reproduction, redistribution, or use for AI training prohibited.
Popular News
