One of the perils of being the Wine Curmudgeon is that, eventually, I will alienate everyone in the wine business — if I haven’t already. Like with this. Or this. Or even this. Which means there won’t be anyone left to drink with me. Fortunately, a Korean inventor has solved my problem with Drinky the Robot, and I am more than grateful.
Eunchan Park created Drinky because — and I know his pain — he didn’t have anyone to drink with. “I had no girlfriend at that time,” Park wrote. “Drinking alone was definitely terrible!” Of course it is, if only because there is no one to commiserate with.
So here’s to you and Drinky, Eunchan Park. And Drinky and I will get along. First, he does the Mike Nesmith look, which men of a certain age have always appreciated. Second, though the robot can’t talk, it can dance and give a thumb’s up. What more could I ask for every time I whine about scores, complain that the wine has too much alcohol, or that some focus group has decided that it should be overoaked?