Ep 345 When Wine Becomes an Adventure with Blake Paiement, Founder & CEO of WineTails.io; Wānaka, Otago, New Zealand

Wine becomes a whole different experience when you stop thinking of it as a drink and start discovering the stories behind every bottle.

In this episode, I spoke with Blake Paiement about his journey from building a real estate media company to creating a technology platform designed to help people experience wine in a completely different way. We explored how WineTrails uses AI to create personalized, self-guided wine experiences, complete with recommendations, navigation, and stories about the regions, wineries, founders, and traditions along the way. Blake also shared the importance of carefully vetting AI-generated content, particularly when telling the personal stories and histories of winemakers.

We talked about the changing wine industry, how younger generations are approaching wine differently, and why connecting people to the history and meaning behind an experience can make it more relevant and memorable.

Every sip has a story.

Here are the highlights:

● Technology is changing the wine experience. AI can help create personalized wine adventures based on individual preferences, while technology makes self-guided exploration more accessible.

● Storytelling creates a deeper connection. Understanding the history, people, culture, and challenges behind a bottle of wine can transform the experience from simply consuming a product into discovering its story.

● AI requires human oversight. AI can be powerful but can also fabricate information, making careful fact-checking and collaboration with founders essential when telling authentic stories.

● New generations are redefining wine culture. Younger consumers may be approaching wine more slowly and intentionally, looking for knowledge, purpose, and experiences rather than simply viewing wine as something to consume.

● Big visions start with persistence. Building something new requires continuing to learn, experiment, pursue partnerships, and push forward even when entering a competitive market.

About the guest:

Blake Paiement is the founder and CEO of WineTrails.io, a New Zealand-based technology company transforming how people experience wine tourism. The WineTrails.io app combines AI-powered recommendations, navigation, and GPS-triggered storytelling to create personalized, self-guided wine tours that allow travelers to explore at their own pace while learning about the history, culture, and people behind each region.

Originally from Nevada, Blake moved to New Zealand and built a career in visual storytelling before turning his focus to wine tourism.

Connect with Blake:

Download the app: winetrails.io

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blake-paiement-59670815a/

Connect with Allison:

Feedspot has named Disruptive CEO Nation as one of the Top 25 CEO Podcasts on the web.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonsummerschicago/

Website: https://www.disruptiveceonation.com/

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