Wine chemistry can be accurately judged from fermenting tiny batches of wine

Making wine is a complex endeavor – it depends on grape composition, microbes like yeast, and environmental conditions such as temperatures, rainfall amounts and soil quality where grapevines are growing. Traditionally, researchers conduct pilot-scale fermentations of about 5 gallons to evaluate things like grape quality or yeast behavior, but they take time and money. However, a new study by a team of researchers led by Penn State food scientists has shown that a quicker, cheaper option called microvinification – fermentations of 50 milliliters, about a quarter cup – is reliable and convenient for studying wine chemistry.

“With proper replication – doing enough repeated tests – microvinifications can give trustworthy results,” said study senior author Misha Kwasniewski, associate research professor of food science in the College of Agricultural Sciences. “These small-scale tests can be a powerful, cost-effective way to improve research accuracy, predict how wine will turn out based on grape chemistry and support commercial wine-production decisions.”

Results from this study, published in the American Journal of Enology and Viticulture, may open some eyes in the wine industry, Kwasniewski suggested, because microvinifications often are avoided due to concerns about high variability in results, too much oxygen exposure, and other potential issues.

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