Last January 22nd, a first-time contest in Paris opposed two wine experts,  critic Antoine Gerbelle and sommelier Paz Levinson, against “Matcha”, an artificial intelligence device with the purpose “to help sell wine” as stated by its creator Thomas Dayras.  The first assessment was to suggest the best wine for classic, gourmet or complex food, with challenging ingredients for wine pairing.  The second test required replying to bids such as “I am looking for a bottle of white wine to open for my birthday, I enjoy organic wine and my budget is €50 max”.  The third involved planning a restaurant wine list based on information inputs regarding personality, dishes and location.  The Umpiring Panel, was formed by Michelin-starred chef Alain Dufournier, winegrower Clément Pinard and Paolo Bouca Nova, commercial director of “Repaire de Bacchus” which provided the wines database.  The judges rated the anonymous responses of the two humans and of the AI wine merchant.  The verdict assessed that in the first two tests, humans defeated the “machine” with a slight advantage for Antoine Gerbelle.  Matcha’s suggestions for complex dishes were quite honourable, except for one, which its founder has agreed to correct.  For the third test, the panel preferred the wine list designed in just a few seconds by Matcha to the one Paz Levinson took an hour to prepare.  Hence the overall result of this contest was certified as an equal finish.