The ‘Vine to Mind’ conference organised by HDSR aimed to connect AI research with the wine sector, featuring key speakers and in-depth research papers on AI applications in viticulture, marketing, and consumer engagement.
The “Vine to Mind” conference on artificial intelligence took place earlier this month, hosted by the Harvard Data Science Review (HDSR). Organized by Donald St. Pierre, cofounder and chairman of AdaptEdge, and Xiao-Li Meng, founding editor-in-chief of HDSR, the event aimed to bridge the gap between research and industry in the wine sector.
Key speakers included Laura Catena of Bodega Catena, Jean-Baptiste Rivail of Ponzi Vineyards, Gallo CFO Mark Sahn, and academic researchers Elisabeth Forrestel and Daniel Sumner from the University of California at Davis. A total of 16 research papers were presented, covering various aspects of AI in viticulture, marketing, and consumer engagement.
Cathy Huyghe, CEO of Enolytic, highlighted the importance of wineries leveraging their existing data for better business planning. Jeffrey Meisel of Constellation Brands discussed how AI helps in offering personalized experiences to consumers. Troy Rice from Total Wine & More mentioned AI’s role in enhancing in-store customer recommendations.
Pierre-Yves Calloc’h, Chief Digital Officer at Pernod Ricard, detailed the company’s use of AI for predicting harvest times, marketing spend allocation, and sustainability programs. Additionally, Cornell University’s Bradley Rickard presented a study on Colorado’s legal changes affecting the beverage alcohol market.
Xiao-Li Meng expressed satisfaction with the conference’s reception and suggested the possibility of making it an annual event, alternating between Harvard and different wine-producing regions.
