This exercise should end my recent preoccupation with ChatGPT, the hugely popular Artificial Intelligence (AI) program meant principally for customer-service dialogue but raising concerns that it also could be exploited to create unoriginal and uncredited term papers, articles, poems, songs and the like.
Wine tasting notes, too. To see what ChatGPT could do along those lines, and just to have some fun, I took one of my best-of-class wine tasting notes from this past week’s San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition and asked the chatbot’s generator to recast it in the style of various high-profile authors.
The results were amusing, and give some indication of how ChatGPT approaches this sort of assignment, which is to say it did a so-so job in representing an author’s background and style but not necessarily his or her voice and originality. I came away with a sense that the program is based more on biographical material than the actual work of the writers.
Here is my original tasting note about the Aratás 2017 Amador County Shake Ridge Ranch Petite Sirah:
In appearance, this Aratás Petite Sirah captures the variety’s customary inky purple, but on the palate the wine is an unusually serene take on the variety, its berry/cherry fruit flamboyant but cheery, its thread of licorice atypical but alluring, its tannins reserved and its oak finely integrated.
And here is how ChatGPT reimagines the note if Ernest Hemingway, Bob Dylan and others worked with the same material:
Ernest Hemingway:
The Aratás Petite Sirah poured dark and rich, a deep purple like ink on the page. But as it touched the tongue, a sense of calm washed over the palate. The berry and cherry flavors were bold, yet playful. A hint of licorice, unexpected yet alluring, lingered in the background. The tannins were gentle, and the oak seamlessly woven in.
Bob Dylan:
This Aratás Petite Sirah, it’s like a rolling river, deep and dark, inky purple like a stormy sky. But when you take a sip, it’s like a ray of sunshine, smooth and calm, berry and cherry flavors dancing like wildflowers in a meadow. There’s a hint of licorice, like a harmonica playing in the distance, alluring and mysterious. The tannins are like a steady beat, reserved and steady, and the oak like a guitar, finely integrated and adding depth to the melody.
Martha Grimes:
The Aratás Petite Sirah, it appears in a deep and dark inky purple, just as it should be. But as you take a sip, it’s like a mystery unfolding, a serene and unusual take on the variety. The berry and cherry fruits are flamboyant yet cheery, like a clue in a murder mystery. The thread of licorice, atypical but alluring, like a red herring. The tannins are reserved, like a detective keeping their cards close, and the oak is finely integrated, like a well-woven plot. It’s a wine that leaves you wanting to solve more of its secrets.
Leonard Cohen:
The Aratás Petite Sirah, it pours like a deep, dark secret, inky purple like a lover’s veil. But as it touches your lips, the wine reveals its serene and unusual nature. The berry and cherry flavors, flamboyant but with a hint of cheer, like a lover’s laughter. The thread of licorice, atypical yet alluring, like a forbidden passion. The tannins are reserved, like a lover’s touch, and the oak is finely integrated, like a love poem written with intricate metaphors. It’s a wine that leaves you in contemplation, searching for the hidden meaning and depth behind it.
Emmanuel Carrère:
The Aratás Petite Sirah, it’s as dark as the human soul, inky purple like a deep secret. But as it touches the palate, it reveals its serene and unexpected nature, like a human being who is full of contradictions. The berry and cherry flavors, flamboyant yet cheerful, like a human emotion, the thread of licorice, atypical yet alluring, like a human desire, the tannins are reserved, like a human restraint, and the oak is finely integrated, like a human complexity. It’s a wine that leaves you contemplating the depth and layers of human nature, just like a good novel.
Dorothy Parker:
“Well, well, well, what do we have here? A Petite Sirah as dark as a moonless night, but oh my, it’s quite the surprise on the tongue. Berry and cherry flavors, as flirtatious as they come, but with a hint of licorice that’s as unexpected as it is enticing. Tannins? Oh, they’re there, but playing it cool. And the oak? It’s like it’s not even trying, but it’s all the better for it.”
Ian Rankin:
“This Petite Sirah from Aratás is a dark, brooding presence in the glass, its inky purple hue hinting at the complexity to come. On the palate, it’s an unusual blend of calm and chaos, with berry and cherry fruit that’s bold and joyful, but tempered by a thread of licorice that’s both atypical and alluring. The tannins are reigned in, playing a subtle role in the background, while the oak integration is masterfully done, adding depth and finesse to the wine.”
Matsuo Basho:
The Aratás Petite Sirah, it pours into the glass like an ink painting, inky purple like the darkness of a moonless night. But as it touches the tongue, it reveals its serene and unexpected nature, like a spring breeze on a peaceful lake. The berry and cherry flavors, flamboyant yet cheerful, like a cherry blossom in full bloom, the thread of licorice, atypical yet alluring, like an unexpected discovery in a journey, the tannins are reserved, like a solitary traveler’s contemplation, and the oak is finely integrated, like a haiku’s simplicity and depth. It’s a wine that leaves you contemplating the beauty of nature and human emotions, just like a good haiku.
Larry McMurtry:
The Aratás Petite Sirah, it pours into the glass like a dark and rugged landscape, inky purple like a dusty road on a hot day. But as it touches the tongue, it reveals its serene and unexpected nature, like a quiet town in the middle of nowhere. The berry and cherry flavors, flamboyant yet cheerful, like a general store’s candy jar, the thread of licorice, atypical yet alluring, like a stranger passing through, the tannins are reserved, like a cowboy’s stoicism, and the oak is finely integrated, like a well-worn saddle. It’s a wine that leaves you contemplating the simplicity and beauty of the rural life, just like a good western novel.
Ted Kooser:
The Aratás Petite Sirah, it pours into the glass like a dark and rich landscape, inky purple like a field of wildflowers at dusk. But as it touches the tongue, it reveals its serene and unexpected nature, like a tranquil meadow in the middle of a storm. The berry and cherry flavors, flamboyant yet cheerful, like a summer day in the countryside, the thread of licorice, atypical yet alluring, like a hidden path in the woods, the tannins are reserved, like a farmer’s patience, and the oak is finely integrated, like a rustic cabin in the middle of nature. It’s a wine that leaves you contemplating the simplicity and beauty of rural life, just like a good pastoral poem.
Mark Twain:
The Aratás Petite Sirah, it’s as dark as a Mississippi night, inky purple like a shadow on the water. But when it hits your tongue, it’s like a surprise packet, serene and unexpected, like a gentle breeze on a hot summer day. The berry and cherry flavors, flamboyant yet cheerful like a steamboat whistle, the thread of licorice, atypical yet alluring like a good yarn, the tannins are reserved like a riverboat captain, and the oak is finely integrated like a well-crafted boat. It’s a wine that takes you on a journey, with twists and turns, and leave you with a pleasant aftertaste.