A two-year study led by University of Victoria ecologist John Volpe has the potential to transform the wine industry on the west coast. At a time when climate change is threatening other winemaking regions around the world, combining innovative spectrometry technology with field manipulations at three BC vineyards will pinpoint the perfect time to harvest grapes, says Volpe.
“The novelty of our approach stems from the use of a specific type of molecular analysis to assess the effect of our field manipulations,” says Volpe, whose research interests include ecology, biodiversity, gastronomy, sustainability and food production. “We expect to gain insights on how to make great wine at a resolution never before available and it will help growers harvest with confidence that their produce is in peak state to produce the best wines possible.”
Great grapes make great wine. Quality is assured by harvesting exactly when molecules responsible for aroma and flavor are at maximum density; this peak is called physiological ripeness and occurs only briefly. Vineyards, in choosing when to harvest, use a “best guess” approach by testing sugar ripeness, which is easily measured in the field. The new study proposes to identify markers of physiological ripeness instead.
The approach also involves minimal intervention on the vine, which will allow the wine to most closely reflect the ecosystem in which the grapes were grown.
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Image via University of Victoria.