THE WHOLE WINE SPECTRUM
We’re on a mission to make scientific knowledge more accessible in the wine industry. See how our laboratory services, commercial wine database, and one-on-one advising can help your wine business thrive.
LABORATORY SERVICES
Getting Started
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Local clients can schedule a sample pickup and we come directly to your winery.
ORDER PICKUP
ONE-ON-ONE CLIENT SERVICES
ADVISING
Science facilitates the fermentation of thought. It is the systematic method of understanding the natural world that allows us to extrapolate deeper meaning from our lived experiences. For our co-founder, Keaton Crow, phenolics analysis was the first scientific tool that intuitively aligned with the long-held traditions of premium wine production. It revealed a means of knowledge exploration that we utilize through our advising services to help our clients harness wine's dynamic nature.
VINEYARD INSIGHTS
Impact of extreme heat on Cabernet Sauvignon grape extractable anthocyanins across three blocks and two vintages from the central California coast.
WINERY INSIGHTS
Representative extraction profile of Cabernet Sauvignon from the central California coast.
DID YOU KNOW?
While stuck fermentations are bad for wine quality, they reveal the secret to stabilizing wine color. Prolonged warmth and delayed sulfur dioxide addition allow purple Free Anthocyanins and astringent Protein-Precipitable Tannins to polymerize together forming stable brick red Bound Anthocyanins. Winemakers can create these conditions during the 100 days-post-crush window to maximize the concentration of Bound Anthocyanins.
Nebbiolo from Barolo and Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa have similar tannin ranges, but the former needs extensive aging while the latter tends to be plush and drinkable. This is because Bound Anthocyanins formed during the winemaking process decrease the astringency of Protein-Precipitable Tannins. Since Cabernet Sauvignon is a high color varietal, more Bound Anthocyanins are formed, and the wines tend to be much less astringent. In contrast, Barolos need oxidation in the form of extensive bottle aging in order to balance the astringency.
Most aroma compounds are hydrophobic, causing them to bind to other nonpolar compounds like phenolics. We believe the strength of this bond depends on Tannin Activity, a metric of tannin polarity. The more active the tannins, the less expressive the aromas, which is why highly astringent wines can be very muted and require more time to "open up". Altering tannins polarity through natural phenomena such as color incorporation and oxidation are powerful tools for balancing aroma expression.