Can AI Pick the BEST Wineries in Napa Valley? Wally Rates ChatGPT's Winery Recommendations for First Timers!
Local Wally
Robert Mondavi Winery
There’s been a lot of talk recently about how Artificial Intelligence is going to take over the internet and put people like me out of a job. I’ve already been laid off 4 times by big corporations and now the internet wants me gone? What’s up with that? So I thought I’d take ChatGPT out for a test drive and see just how good it it.
WHAT ARE THE BEST WINERIES FOR A DAY IN NAPA VALLEY FOR A FIRST TIMER ACCORDING TO AI?
Let’s see which wineries AI picked and if I agree.
BERINGER VINEYARDS: For first timers who want instagram photos Beringer is a good pick. Beautiful grounds and buildings, lots of Napa history, but their wine tastings are fairly average. There is a typically an offer with the Priority Wine Pass to cut your costs down so YES, I agree, but only if you do it with a discount.
STAG’S LEAP WINE CELLARS: There are two wineries with similar names, Stag’s Leap and Stags’ Leap - notice where the apostrophe is. The one AI picked is the correct one if you are looking for the winery that won the Judgement of Paris blind wine tasting in 1976 (as seen in the movie Bottle Shock). Good job AI.
ROBERT MONDAVI WINERY: There’s no denying that Mondavi is a Napa pioneer and an iconic winery with one of the best tours for first timers. But I rarely recommend them other than for a photo in front of the arched wall because I find their tastings rather average with too much focus on their retail shop instead of the wine. It’s typically crowded, filled with tour bus groups, there are better stops. Plus Robert Mondavi’s iconic winery is closed for a major renovation until 2026 so now all tastings are at the old Stone Brewery in downtown Napa. Skip this one. Sorry AI, this is a FAIL.
DOMAINE CARNEROS: I like sparkling wines, I like Domaine Carneros, but it’s location is closer to Sonoma than the heart of Napa so I typically don’t like sending my readers there. A better pick is Mumm Napa in the afternoon when the warm afternoon sun sets over the vineyards, or Domaine Chandon first thing in the morning when the dew is glistening in their beautiful gardens. FAIL
CASTELLO DI AMOROSA: The Napa Castle. During the summer I sort of cringe when people want to visit the castle. It’s busy like a holiday weekend at Disneyland and does visiting a torture chamber really have anything to do with wine? But even with all of that I do think that first timers should visit the castle. It’s interesting, it’s amazing really, and the wines are pretty good. Do a tour to get away from the main crowds doing the standard tastings. They are open later as well so I like to do this one as the last tasting of the day. So yes, I agree with AI.
Should I dust off my resume? Not quite yet, though I do hear that AI will somehow assimilate all of the knowledge in people like me and one day become the one source for everything, forcing us to buy everything Alexa recommends (“by the way…”) and only doing what it says we can do. Until then, you can keep asking me questions and I’ll keep giving you free advice, free of advertising bias or AI interference.