{"id":8472,"date":"2026-04-20T16:45:38","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T16:45:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/8472\/"},"modified":"2026-04-20T16:45:38","modified_gmt":"2026-04-20T16:45:38","slug":"ai-will-help-wine-sales-in-hospitality-but-wont-replace-humans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/8472\/","title":{"rendered":"AI will help wine sales in hospitality but won\u2019t replace humans"},"content":{"rendered":"

As Artificial intelligence becomes increasingly embedded in hospitality, db hosted a webina<\/a>r earlier this year to see how the tech can help on the restaurant floor, and whether it might replace the human touch.<\/p>\n

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The digital event, run by AI-driven drinks software provider Preferabli<\/a>, focused on how fast-emerging technology is transforming the way wine is sold, considering the benefits to both retail and hospitality businesses.<\/p>\n

As db has previously written about,<\/a> AI-driven personalisation is offering commercial benefits to the e-commerce wine sector, through reducing decision friction, increasing customer confidence, improving product discovery, and strengthening long-term loyalty.<\/p>\n

But Artificial intelligence is also being used on restaurant floor, where the webinar showed that its impact is less about automation and more about precision.<\/p>\n

According to panellist and Napa Valley hospitality professional Rachel Wilson, the technology is already changing how wine is sold \u2013 essentially by focusing on getting the right glass into the right guest\u2019s hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s pretty simple,\u201d said Wilson, who is currently general manager of the Napa Valley Marriott. \u201cPersonalisation is just about finding the right product for the guest. It\u2019s what do they personally want? What are they going to enjoy?\u201d<\/p>\n

While that may sound straightforward, it is having a commercial impact.<\/p>\n

Selling better is selling more<\/p>\n

Rather than pushing higher-priced bottles, AI-driven recommendations are increasing revenue by improving satisfaction, according to Wilson. When guests enjoy what they\u2019re drinking, she recorded, the commercial outcome follows naturally.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you\u2019re drinking something you like, then, of course, you\u2019re going to sell more of it,\u201d she said. \u201cSelling better is selling more.\u201d<\/p>\n

In practice, that means longer dwell times, more orders, and a more relaxed, social experience \u2013 without overt upselling.<\/p>\n

Changing tastes in real time<\/p>\n

One of the reasons AI is taking hold is the speed at which consumer preferences are shifting \u2013 even in traditional wine destinations like Napa Valley.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t think of this as something that you accomplish and then you\u2019re over with,\u201d Wilson said. \u201cInventory is constantly changing; variables are constantly changing; what\u2019s the top seller is constantly changing.\u201d<\/p>\n

She pointed to a striking recent trend: \u201cWe\u2019ve been selling a lot more non-alcoholic wine. We\u2019ve seen our mocktails skyrocket in sales\u2026 really just in the last two years.\u201d<\/p>\n

In this environment, static wine lists and staff knowledge alone are no longer enough \u2013 real-time data and adaptive tools are becoming essential, she said.<\/p>\n

Raising revenue efficiency<\/p>\n

Beyond driving sales, AI is also improving operational performance in less visible ways. One of the most tangible impacts Wilson highlighted is waste reduction.<\/p>\n

\u201cOperationally, it\u2019s made a really big difference in our spoilage log,\u201d she said. \u201cBy having guests select something they\u2019re probably going to like right away, we\u2019ve seen the spoilage in our restaurant drop significantly.\u201d<\/p>\n

For operators, that translates into better margins and less inventory loss \u2013 an increasingly important factor in a high-cost environment.<\/p>\n

Augmenting staff, not replacing them<\/p>\n

Despite concerns about automation, Wilson is clear that AI is not replacing sommeliers or bartenders \u2013 it\u2019s strengthening them.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur bartenders are fantastic. They\u2019re looking at the guests in the eyes. They know really what a guest is looking for,\u201d she said. \u201cBut how can we make sure they have all of the knowledge that they need?\u201d<\/p>\n

In her operation, AI tools act as a real-time knowledge base, offering pairing suggestions, tasting notes, and popularity insights. This is particularly valuable for new employees.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we hire a brand new server\u2026 they might be using their phone more than 40% for the first week or two until they feel more comfortable,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n

The result is faster onboarding and more consistent service across teams.<\/p>\n

The AI-assisted menu<\/p>\n

On the guest side, the experience is also evolving. QR codes linked to AI-powered platforms allow diners to explore wine options the moment they sit down \u2013 often before speaking to staff.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt gives you a call to action right away,\u201d Wilson said. \u201cYou\u2019re scanning it, and then you\u2019re going through the whole process yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n

This creates a hybrid service model, where guests begin making decisions independently but still benefit from human interaction when needed.<\/p>\n

Scaling personalisation<\/p>\n

AI\u2019s role extends beyond the restaurant floor into pre-arrival and in-room experiences. Wilson described how her team now uses AI to tailor offerings for high-value guests before they even arrive.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou get a QR code in your email, you\u2019re selecting a wine that you like, and then I can have a wine at your room that I can feel really confident you\u2019re going to enjoy,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

For luxury hospitality, this represents a shift toward scalable personalisation by delivering bespoke experiences without increasing operational complexity.<\/p>\n

Enabling broader wine lists<\/p>\n

AI is also influencing what gets stocked in the first place. With better tools to guide guests toward unfamiliar options, operators can take more risks with their wine lists.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt gives me a little more confidence in buying those bottles and bringing those in,\u201d Wilson said. \u201cThe larger our wine list gets, the more tools like this are really helpful.\u201d<\/p>\n

That could ultimately lead to more diverse offerings, rather than a reliance on safe, high-volume sellers.<\/p>\n

Technology in the background<\/p>\n

For Wilson, the key is not whether AI belongs in hospitality, because it already does.<\/p>\n

\u201cAI isn\u2019t some distant future concept. It\u2019s already a part of how hospitality operates every day,\u201d she said, citing its use in pricing, revenue management, and menu development.<\/p>\n

The real question is how it\u2019s used.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not about removing the human element,\u201d she added. \u201cIt\u2019s about making sure that we have tools that can help maximise the time that we\u2019re really spending there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her analogy is simple: \u201cThere was a time when if you wanted butter on your toast, you were churning butter for 30 minutes\u2026 now I just go into my fridge. That doesn\u2019t make the butter any less fantastic \u2013 it just makes it easier.\u201d<\/p>\n

A subtle but important shift<\/p>\n

Taken together, Wilson\u2019s insights point to a broader transformation. AI in wine service is not about replacing expertise or pushing higher prices \u2013 it\u2019s about aligning taste, timing, and inventory with greater accuracy.<\/p>\n

And in doing so, Wilson said that it is not only helping the guest find what they want, but also the business improve profitability.<\/p>\n

Click here to listen to the webinar in full.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

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\n <\/a>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As Artificial intelligence becomes increasingly embedded in hospitality, db hosted a webinar earlier this year to see how…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":8473,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[24,25,7359,7360,7361,7362,7363,7364,7365,3044],"class_list":{"0":"post-8472","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-ai","8":"tag-ai","9":"tag-artificial-intelligence","10":"tag-hospitality","11":"tag-marriott","12":"tag-napa","13":"tag-personalisation","14":"tag-preferabli","15":"tag-rachel-wilson","16":"tag-restaurant","17":"tag-wine"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8472","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8472"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8472\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8473"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8472"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8472"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8472"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}