Survey Finds U.S. Wine Industry Uses AI Far More in Offices Than Vineyards

Artificial intelligence is gaining ground in the U.S. wine business, but the strongest growth is happening in offices rather than in vineyards or cellars, according to a new industry survey that points to faster adoption in administration, marketing, and communications than in production.

The research was conducted by the Wine Market Council, a U.S. nonprofit focused on wine consumer market research, in partnership with WineBusiness Analytics. It compares responses gathered in 2024 with a new 2026 survey of 266 participants tied to the American wine sector. The findings show a business that has moved beyond simple experimentation with AI, but that is still adopting the technology unevenly across different parts of its operations.

Familiarity with AI has increased over the two-year period. In 2024, 22% of respondents said they were “very familiar” with AI. In 2026, that figure rose to 30%. At the same time, the share describing themselves as only slightly familiar fell from 28% to 20%. The report says that shift suggests the industry is entering an early integration stage, especially with widely available generative AI tools.

The biggest gains were reported in office tasks. Nearly two-thirds of respondents said they use ChatGPT or similar systems to draft emails, reports, and other written communications. More than 60% said they use AI for marketing work. Several categories saw large jumps between 2024 and 2026. Use of AI for writing emails or reports rose from 38% to 66%. Use in marketing campaign support climbed from 39% to 62%. AI-generated images, including visuals for photos or logos, increased from 20% to 41%. Use for social media management went from 12% to 21%. Predictive analysis rose from 8% to 25%. Language translation increased from 24% to 36%.

Those results suggest that wine companies are finding immediate value in software that can speed up repetitive desk work, support content creation, and help small teams handle marketing demands that previously required more time or outside support. The report also notes broad use of mainstream generative AI platforms such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity.

By contrast, adoption in vineyards and wineries remains limited. The survey looked at technology such as sensors in the vineyard, optical sorters, drone analysis, monitoring tools, and robotics used in grape growing. Those categories showed only slight increases, and in some cases remained flat between 2024 and 2026. According to the report, none of the changes in those production-related uses reached statistical significance.

That matters because vineyard and cellar operations are often where AI is expected to have long-term effects, from crop monitoring to sorting fruit and improving precision in winemaking. But the new survey suggests that, for now, many producers are still moving carefully. The report describes adoption in those areas as cautious and selective rather than broad-based.

The same caution appears in customer-facing uses of AI. Only about 10% of respondents said they use AI tools integrated into their websites. Adoption was even lower for chatbots, virtual assistants, wine recommendation systems, and so-called AI sommelier tools. Those numbers indicate that many wineries remain hesitant to put AI directly between the business and the consumer, especially in a sector where brand identity, personal service, and tasting-room relationships often play a central role.

Respondents were also asked whether AI was delivering concrete benefits. The survey examined three main areas: operational efficiency, cost savings, and quality improvement. In most cases, more people reported moderate benefits than large benefits. At the same time, the share reporting moderate or high benefits from vineyard, winery, and customer relationship applications declined. Depending on the area, between 30% and 50% of respondents said they had seen no benefit at all.

That gap between use and perceived value is one of the clearest findings in the report. It suggests that while more wine businesses are trying AI, especially in tasks that are easy to test and inexpensive to deploy, many are still not seeing strong gains in more specialized applications. In areas tied closely to farming, production, and customer interaction, expectations may be running ahead of current results.

The 2026 survey also added new questions about trust. Only 3% of respondents said they trust AI-generated advice to a great extent. Another 22% said they do not trust it at all. The largest groups fell in the middle: 38% said they trust AI only to a small extent, while 37% said they trust it to a moderate extent. Those numbers point to a user base that is willing to experiment with AI but not ready to rely on it fully for decision-making.

Another new question examined whether companies have formal internal rules governing AI use. Just 13% said their company has an official AI policy, while 87% said it does not. The researchers said that finding raises important governance concerns, especially because some workers may be using public AI systems without clear guidance on what business information can be entered into them.

The report warns that, without company rules, employees could unintentionally upload sensitive material into public AI tools, including confidential business information, customer data, financial details, or commercial strategy. The survey also suggests the total number of AI users inside wine companies may be higher than it appears, because some firms that reported having no policy may still have employees using AI informally.

In that sense, the survey presents a picture of pragmatic adoption rather than resistance. U.S. wine companies appear more comfortable using AI where the costs are low, the tools are easy to access, and the results can be measured quickly, especially in office administration and marketing. But they are far less likely to deploy it where the technology touches cultivation, winemaking, or the consumer relationship in direct ways.

The findings come at a time when the wine sector is facing pressure on several fronts, including higher operating costs, shifting consumer behavior, labor challenges, and the need for more efficient business practices. AI may look attractive in that environment, particularly for smaller or mid-sized producers trying to do more with limited staff. But the survey suggests that many operators still see the technology as an assistant rather than a replacement for human judgment.

That is especially true in a business where agricultural experience, sensory evaluation, and personal contact remain central. The report says future growth in AI adoption will likely depend on better reliability, stronger governance policies, and the industry’s ability to use the technology in ways that support, rather than displace, human expertise and craftsmanship. For now, the clearest pattern in the U.S. wine industry is that AI is spreading fastest at the desk, not among the vines.