Samsung's AI Wine Fridge Scans Labels and Tracks Your Collection, But Critics Question the Value

Samsung's New AI Wine Fridge Will Keep Tabs on That Vintage Merlot for You

Now, where did I put that 2019 pinot noir? A new AI-powered wine fridge might be able help. Samsung on Monday launched the Infinite AI Wine Refrigerator, an appliance that the company says uses artificial intelligence to give you all the vital information you want to know about your inventory. But wine connoisseurs in the US will have to wait for it -- it's only available in South Korea for now. The product uses an "AI Wine Manager" that can "manage wines that require careful storage for a long time more easily and efficiently based on 'AI Vision', a camera mounted on the top of the product." There's an AI camera -- synced to an AI Wine Manager app -- at the top of the refrigerator. The camera can detect which bottles you add, which you remove and where bottles are located in the fridge. The AI can also analyze each bottle's label to identify the name, variety and vintage of the wine. If you move the bottle to a different spot in the fridge, the AI Wine Manager will take note. Whatever wine you choose for the evening's dinner, the app can recommend food recipes that might go well with it, Samsung says. The fridge is large enough to store 101 bottles and has an area where you can store edibles such as cheese, fruit, nuts and cured meats. This "multi-pantry" has five temperature settings. Samsung said the refrigerator has three areas -- upper, middle and lower -- and that temperatures can be set from a minimum of 37°F to a maximum of 67°F, depending on what's needed for the wines and food inside. The wine fridge is a new addition to the surge in the smart kitchen appliance market, which is expected to grow by an estimated 18% globally over the next few years, according to market analytics firm Grand View Research. CNET took a thorough look at smart kitchen appliances and tools that were useful, like smart composters and coffeemakers, and those that weren't, including buggy meat thermometers and overly smart countertop ovens. For the purposes of this definition, smart appliances are loosely defined as those that are either Wi-Fi-enabled or AI-powered, or both. Doug Croll, membership wine educator at the Chateau Montelena winery in Calistoga, Calif., said he didn't find the Infinite AI Wine Refrigerator's features "compelling," given that it can only hold 101 bottles. Read more: Hey Samsung, Please Stop Forcing AI on Me Croll said the fridge AI would be more intriguing if "the software starts providing purchasing assistance, like an in-home sommelier," he said, speaking for himself and not officially for the winery. He said it would be useful if the AI could recommend wines, knowing that you like a certain kind, or if the AI could let you know when there are sales on your favorite wines and even buy them for you. Austin Evans, a tech tester whose YouTube channel has 5.75 million subscribers, said that when it comes to home tech, it seems like the term "smart" is being replaced by "AI" for no great reason. "I'd almost take the opposite view of a lot of this stuff," Evans told CNET. "It feels like companies are pushing AI everywhere for the buzzwords more than the actual functionality. My washing machine is 'AI-powered' and, as far as I can tell, all that actually means is it has Wi-Fi, which is what we called 'smart' a few years ago." Moon Jong-seung, vice president of Samsung Electronics' DA division, said in a news release that the company "will continue to introduce premium home appliances that innovate users' lifestyles based on advanced AI technology." The Infinite AI Wine Refrigerator costs $4,300. The company did not give a timeframe for when it will be available outside South Korea. A Samsung representative did not immediately respond to CNET's request for comment.

Samsung made a booze fridge with an AI eye to take care of your fancy wine

Samsung's new AI-powered wine fridge can scan, track, and manage your wine collection automatically. Samsung is going all-in on AI, and its latest experiment has nothing to do with a phone or a TV. It's a high-end wine fridge that uses AI and a built-in camera to track, manage, and even understand your wine collection. It sounds excessive, but it's a great example of where smart home tech is heading next. What exactly does this AI wine fridge do? The new AI Wine Refrigerator, part of Samsung's premium Infinite lineup, comes with an "AI wine manager" powered by a camera mounted on top of the product. It detects when you place or remove a bottle, scans its label, and logs key details such as the wine's name, grape variety, and vintage. This data is synced to Samsung's SmartThings app, so you can track your collection without manually logging anything. The system can even show you exactly where each bottle is stored inside the fridge. Recommended Videos The Infinite AI Wine Refrigerator can store up to 101 bottles and features three separate cooling zones, allowing you to keep different types of wine at ideal temperatures ranging from 3°C to 18°C. Samsung has also equipped it with a UV-blocking glass to protect wine quality and a low-vibration compressor to prevent disturbances that could affect aging. Why would you want AI in a wine fridge? For anyone who collects wine, even casually, keeping track of bottles can get messy fast. You forget what you have, where it's stored, or when it's best to drink it. Samsung's AI approach aims to solve exactly that. By automatically scanning and logging bottles, the fridge removes the need for manual tracking. You can check your collection from your phone, see what's inside without opening the door, and avoid accidentally letting a good bottle sit past its prime. The camera system also adds a layer of precision that traditional wine fridges lack. It turns your wine collection into something more dynamic and searchable, closer to a digital library than a physical wine rack. As you'd expect, this kind of convenience comes at a price. With a 6,499,000 won (~$4,300) price tag, Samsung's AI wine fridge isn't meant for casual users who just keep a couple of bottles around. It's aimed at enthusiasts who care about storage conditions, organization, and long-term value. The Infinite AI Wine Refrigerator is currently available in Samsung's home market of South Korea. The company hasn't shared any details on international availability yet.

Samsung made an AI fridge to cool and catalogue wine

Samsung is shoehorning AI into a wine cooler that'll help you catalogue your wine cellar. If 2026 has taught us anything in the tech world, it's that generative AI can worm its way into practically any device... even a wine fridge. The company has announced a new Infinite AI Wine Refrigerator that can hold 101 wine bottles across three individual storage sections that can be set to three different temperatures, so you're always keeping the good stuff in the optimum condition. But what's so artificially intelligent about that? Well, there's a camera that'll recognise the name, variety and vintage of the wine. The appliance will catalogue the bottles as you insert them into the fridge, and inevitably update your catalogue when it's removed for the purpose of consumption. Samsung says it helps you "manage wine that needs to be carefully stored for a long time." In a blog post published in Korea on Monday, Samsung explains: "When the refrigerator door is opened, the 'AI vision' camera at the top of the device detects the entry and exit of the wine bottle. When the wine is stored in the refrigerator, it recognises the location of the wine and analyses the label information to automatically record details such as the name, variety, and vintage of the wine in SmartThings' 'AI Wine Manager'." The fridge has an auto open door function that can open with a light touch or a Bixby voice command ("Bixby... wine me!") making it easy to open with other stuff in your hands, like wine glasses. There's a natural wood wine rack and in the centre there's a compartment with can store your cheeses and nibbly bits. The fridge costs 6,499,000 won (around $4,280 / £3,250) and is available in Korea now.