Napa winemaker hires AI apprentice to refine winemaking process

By Tom Vacar | Original Article

There’s plenty of talk about how artificial intelligence has the potential to simplify workflows for office employees across a range of industries, but its uses may reach much further. As one Napa County vintner can attest, A.I. may have a place in agriculture.

Palmaz Winery, located on Napa County’s Mount George, has started using artificial intelligence to produce prized wines after a quarter-century of doing it the traditional way. The goal is to reduce the time winemakers spend on tedious tasks that distract them from the essence of their craft, where they feel they’re truly expressing themselves through the product.

2024 Harvest Report | By Christian Palmaz

As of October 15, after the end of harvest. 

If 2023 is remembered as one of the cooler vintages in recent memory, then 2024 will certainly stand out as one of the warmest. Although these temperature differences are measured in fractions of a degree, their cumulative impact can shift the harvest by weeks.

By Peg Melnik, The Press Democrat | Get a taste of the future at this Napa winery | August 2024

With a dome of fluorescent lights shining on ever-changing computations displayed in different colors, the 110,000-square-foot cellar at Palmaz Vineyards looks more like the bridge in “Star Trek” than a winemaking facility.

VINTNER Q&A: What Christian Palmaz Believes About The Roles of People and Terroir in Winemaking

Miles Smith | May 19, 2023

VINTNER: Why did you enter the wine industry and what makes you love being a part of it and stay in it?

PALMAZ: Making wine is the ultimate pursuit of perfection. Through its process wine has infinite depth and dimension. After 25 years, I’m constantly humbled by the seemingly endless diversity of terroir this estate can offer our wine program. I’m not sure I will ever see the same vintage twice and that’s precisely why I’d spend lifetimes doing this if I could.

The Luxury Item: Christian Palmaz, Chief Operating Officer at Palmaz Vineyards

S09 E01 | May 2, 2023

Family-owned and -operated Palmaz Vineyards in Napa Valley is regularly voted one of the best wineries in the region and is known for fusing the time-honored art of winemaking and cutting-edge technology. Scott Kerr sits down with Christian Palmaz, COO at Palmaz Vineyards, to discuss his father Dr. Julio Palmaz’s journey from inventor of the balloon-expandable heart stent to vineyard owner. Christian also talks about the engineering marvel of the vineyard’s 18-story subterranean winery “Cave”, the smart technologies and big data analytics used to improve the winemaking process, expanding into cattle operations and creating a Wagyu beef enterprise, why Millennials are their best wine customers, and navigating through climate change and extreme California weather. Plus: Is AI technology eliminating the romance in winemaking?

Palmaz Vineyards | March 2023

We love to grill flank steaks for tapas. They are quick to fire up and are very flavorful and tender. Flank steaks also have the added benefit of a lower risk of overcooking. When paired with fresh zucchini and Chimichurri salsa this dish is celebratory of a coming Spring.  

Palmaz Vineyards | December 2022

Our 2019 Gaston Cabernet Sauvignon is a cornucopia of flavor, immediately transporting you to its harvest: dark fruit, tobacco, and wet granite captures the aroma of our caves during production. Chocolate covered tart cherries coupled with roasted espresso pop on the palate like a celebration. This is a full bodied wine with bold tannins that taper seamlessly into a silky and everlasting finish.

The Living Kitchen | Marni Elyse Katz | November 2022

Three Napa Valley Vineyards; Abreu Vineyards, Palmaz Vineyards, and Rudd Estate; have properties and processes that are as distinctive as their wines.

Palmaz Vineyards | November 2022

This entree brings together two of our favorite foods: squab and morel mushrooms. When served together, they make a perfect pairing for big, opulent Cabernet Sauvignons. The day before, you can prep the squab breasts, braise the squab legs and make the garlic and morel cream. Then, when guests arrive, you need only to concentrate on the risotto and the squab breasts.