Quote Originally Posted by Lemur
When it has identified a wine, the robot speaks up in a childlike voice.
To be fair, so do most sommeliers. Seriously though, what is this electromechanical imbecile supposed to do at my table? According to the piece..
.. it names the brand and adds a comment or two on the taste, such as whether it is a buttery chardonnay or a full-bodied shiraz, and what kind of foods might go well on the side.
Suppose I order the steak au poivre and a hefty shiraz to douse it. The electrojerk brings it to my table, opens it, tastes it, and says in a childlike voice: "Why this is a full-bodied shiraz, Mr Adrian. May I gently recommend a steak au poivre to go with it?"

Fifteen minutes of that in a half-decent restaurant and it's dish-washing time for the rest of little Bobbie's life.