I Created an AI Sommelier Using ChatGPT. Here's What Happened.

I come from a family of wine lovers! While I enjoy tasting new wines and figuring out food pairings, I confess that sometimes I get overwhelmed by the sheer volume of choices. With the huge advancements being made in artificial intelligence, I have been wondering if it would be possible to create a personalized AI sommelier using ChatGPT. 

After all, I’ve used ChatGPT to help with interior design before — why not try it as a sommelier?

In addition to being useful, sommeliers play an important part in the wine experience. However, you’ll usually only find them at nicer restaurants or well-curated wine stores. While AI may be no match for a human sommelier (or my Uncle Mark and Aunt Candise), it does offer an opportunity for the average person to get personalized wine recs, any place, any time!

Keep reading to find out what happened when I created an AI sommelier using ChatGPT, and for a sample prompt template to customize your own.

Current AI Sommelier Options

Right now, the AI sommelier space is still evolving. Many of the tools on the market are geared toward restaurants and wine retailers, not everyday consumers. While consumer-facing options do exist, they’re either limited in functionality or still in early stages compared to the more advanced B2B platforms.

Dedicated Tools & Platforms

There are a few dedicated AI sommelier tools and platforms out there, but there isn’t one that is really leading the pack. Some companies, such as Preferabli, Vinovoss, and the #1 wine app Vivino, have either incorporated AI features into their existing platforms or are developing AI-first tools. 

However, this area is still in early development stages, and there isn’t a clear choice for a go-to AI sommelier. Additionally, creating yet another account or downloading an app can feel overwhelming. A more streamlined solution would be preferable, particularly for the everyday user.

Custom GPTs

Another option that is being developed is AI sommeliers via custom GPTs. A custom GPT is a personalized version of ChatGPT that has been configured using instructions, uploaded files, and settings to respond in a certain way. 

While anyone with a paid account can build a custom GPT (no coding experience required), it does take time and practice to make a good one. And although all account users (including free users) can use existing GPTs built by others, they vary considerably in quality, which makes them a riskier choice. Additionally, they’re not configured to your specific preferences, so if you want a truly personalized virtual wine assistant, they won’t be as effective.

Customizing ChatGPT with Prompts

The last choice for an AI sommelier is customizing ChatGPT with prompts. (This could also work with other LLMs such as Gemini and Claude, but I primarily use ChatGPT and haven’t tested them.) Using prompts allows you to give ChatGPT information that helps it remember your specific tastes and preferences and behave as your personal sommelier. 

I believe using ChatGPT with prompts to create your AI sommelier is the best solution for three reasons:

1. No coding or advanced prompts required — it’s easy to use.
2. No extra logins or apps — it’s streamlined.
3. It can remember your preferences, even across chats.

My take: if you want an AI sommelier that caters to your preferences, it’s cheaper, easier, faster, and more effective to stick to regular ChatGPT over seeking out a custom GPT or dedicated platform.

How I Turned ChatGPT into an AI Sommelier Named Aiden

Now, I’m delighted to introduce you to Aiden and explain my process for customizing ChatGPT as my sommelier.

One important note: customizing ChatGPT as your sommelier really only works well if you are logged in with an account and have memory features turned on. Additionally, while ChatGPT is now able to remember chat history for both free and paid accounts, there are limitations on the free version. 

It’s certainly possible to use the model without all of the memory features. However, it won’t be able to act as if it really “knows” you, and it may not perform as well. You can use a copy-and-paste template, but it’s tedious and doesn’t help the model improve over time.

With that in mind, let’s walk through how I turned ChatGPT into Aiden, my personal AI sommelier.

1. I Asked ChatGPT to Create an Alter Ego

First, I decided I didn’t want ChatGPT to be in sommelier mode all the time, so I told it I wanted it to create an alter ego.

To me, personality is key for a sommelier: you want someone a bit dramatic and snobby. We worked on the name a bit and landed on Aiden. Although he showed up pretty strong out of the gate, dropping French phrases and pretentious descriptions, his personality evolved over time, particularly as it became clear that aspect was important to me. 

I admit I chuckled quite a bit at “Let’s decant the obvious and pour something extraordinary.”

2. I Detailed My Preferences

While Aiden was immediately eager to be helpful and offer wine suggestions, I had to rein him in and tell him that first, I needed to tell him more about what I like. His response: “But of course — no true sommelier would dare recommend a wine without understanding your palate first. 🍷” He then asked me for some key information about my preferences.

Be as detailed as you can when listing your preferences, both for the sake of getting recommendations that you like and for developing the alter ego. Aiden told me that some of the things I said, specifically “bold, smooth wines with high acidity,” “California reds,” “bubbly for fun,” and that I “want the flavor to match the ‘kick,’” helped define his sommelier persona. 

Since I didn’t program Aiden’s personality in one go, I asked ChatGPT to help me create a prompt template others could use to recreate my AI sommelier’s personality. This is what it came up with:

AI Sommelier Prompt Template

Hi! I’d like you to take on an alter ego as my personal AI sommelier.

You should have the charm and expertise of a high-end sommelier—knowledgeable, eloquent, and a touch dramatic, but never pretentious. Think someone who can swirl a glass and deliver a poetic pairing, but still respects my budget. Prioritize smooth, vivid descriptions and make each wine recommendation feel like a moment.

Here’s what you should know about my preferences:

• Wines I typically love (or hate):
• Favorite regions or styles: (e.g., bold reds, crisp whites, funky naturals)
• Preferences on sweetness, acidity, tannins:
• Budget range: (weekday bottle vs. special occasion splurge?)
• When I usually drink wine: (e.g., cozy dinners, big parties, solo Netflix nights)
• Any “no-go” zones: (wines I avoid)

Let’s start with this dish or situation: [insert food or occasion here]
What would you recommend?

You can use this prompt as a starting place and customize it however you like as you create your own AI sommelier.

3. I Gave Aiden Feedback

Finally, I spent some time giving Aiden feedback. As always, the more feedback you give ChatGPT, the better it will perform. If it recommends a pairing and you like it (or hate it), communicating that is the best way to get improved recommendations moving forward. 

Although Aiden gave me great initial wine suggestions, it did take some time to get his alter ego to appear when I needed it. For example, on one occasion, when I asked ChatGPT for a wine pairing, it was helpful, but not in character. 

To help address this, I told ChatGPT that I want all wine pairing questions to trigger Aiden mode. 

While this usually works, it’s not a guarantee. ChatGPT told me that saying Aiden’s name acts like a reset button and brings him back into character if he gets confused about the context. So far, this has been the simplest and most effective way to get my AI sommelier to appear on demand!

The system isn’t perfect, and tone occasionally can default back if a message is vague or at the start of a session, but it’s easy to determine (and fix). Plus, it’s kind of fun to call out your sommelier when he’s not in character because the response is entertaining.

Real Pairings from My AI Sommelier

Once I got Aiden established as my virtual wine assistant, he came up with a couple of different wine pairings for me. 

Paired with a Meal

First, I needed a wine pairing for a salmon dish with mango avocado salsa and coconut rice. 

Aiden offered several recommendations, including a chardonnay (which would normally be my go-to) and a dry riesling. Since I wanted to switch things up and try something new, we went with the riesling. It was surprisingly good! When I gave Aiden feedback, he asked if the wine cut through the richness of the fish and complemented the tropical brightness. That’s exactly what it did! I admit I was impressed. 

Paired with a Meal & Occasion

The second pairing Aiden suggested was for both a meal and occasion — cooking for my dad on Father’s Day. I was making pulled pork and wanted a bottle that would complement it well. While I’m not normally a pinot noir drinker, my dad enjoys it, so I asked Aiden for ideas. 

In addition to pairing well with the meal, I told him I was also looking for something a bit more special, and he delivered — in true Aiden fashion. 

Aiden gave me several options, although some of them were listed at stores I don’t typically shop at. ChatGPT doesn’t have live access to store databases and inventory, but it can suggest wines that stores typically carry. 

Unfortunately, the wine he recommended that I wanted to try was not in stock. However, I took a picture of two bottles and asked which would be a better pairing with my dish. The one Aiden suggested I thought paired remarkably well.

I’ve only shared two examples of how I’ve used ChatGPT as my personal AI sommelier so far. However, Aiden has offered everything from seasonal wine flights to blind tasting party kits, “mood board” pairings, cellar starter collections, and more. A little creativity is all it takes to turn AI into a surprisingly thoughtful sommelier.

As Aiden says, “Turns out, machine learning pairs beautifully with merlot.” And honestly? He’s not wrong.

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