Winemaker Question: WineXRay

WINE TALK
1

Just received ystrday my latest SommJournal, the 2’nd most vapid wine publication that I receive. The 1’st most is the sister publication, The Tasting Panel magazine. The two are loaded w/ pics of hot chicks & cool dudes, displaying a degree of hipness that a simple little ole country Computational Physicist from Kansas, still w/ cow$hit on his shoes, can never hope to achieve.
There was one article: “Phenolic Analysis: Proves PasoRoble’s Bordeaux Potential”. Again filled w/ pics of hot chicks/cool doods. Authored by Paul Hodgins (who he?). The article, written for air-headed hot chicks/cool dudes, of course proved no such thing.
But there was one interesting take-away from the article, which was probably wasted on the hot chicke/cool dudes crowd. Scot McLeod has a company called WineXRay:
WineXRay
that offers near-instant phenolic analysis of musts & wines, using UV spectrophotometry. Using their data, you can modify your winemaking, in process, to achieve the desired phenolics in your wine. It sounds a bit like LeoMcClosky’s EnoLogix analysis that can be used guarantee a high score from WineSpec or Parker WA.
Anyway, as I was drooling over the pics of the hot-chicks, a couple of questions came to mind that the article came nowhere near answering:

  1. Other than DanialDaou/DAOUVnyds, do any winemakers around here use WineXRay or their services??

  2. What do these numbers on the various families of phenolic compounds tell you about how your wine tastes and of what value to your winemaking are these numbers??

or

  1. Is WineXRay just the latest manifestations of the Venturi and CoraVin gimmicks??

Alas, the winemaking chemistry on the WineXRay site is way above my head.

Tom

2

It’s a real shame what has happened to what used to be a really good publication, Sommelier Journal. I guess it wasn’t profitable before. I’d bet that most of their former readers, as well as most of their target consumer group which is presumably people in the trade, have absolutely no interest in the magazine that it has become.

3

Yup, Doug…with both the SommJournal and TheTastingPanel mags, I think there’s a lot of behind the scenes $$'s
support from people like Wente/Krug/Southern W&S, and such.
Tom

4

A few pages later, there is a very lame article by Elyse Glickman (who she?), a PR & Marketing Pro she self-advertises, on the newly
launched NapaCellars V collection of premium/high-wines. Like many othe SommJournal articles, it is pretty vapid and devoid of any
meaningful content. The article touts what a great growing area is Oakville (where the NapaCllrs/Folie a Deux tasting room is located)
to capture the essence of the NapaVlly. The wines are from Carneros and StHelena!! [snort.gif]
I find it very/very hard to believe she was not paid by TrincheroFamilyEstates to write this puff piece.
Tom

5

Most of the magazine is like that now, as you know. It reads more like a promotional brochure for a few big companies than an actual periodical. It’s disgusting. The worst part is that there were some very good wine people involved in the original effort, producing a lot of interesting content.

6

I’m sorry I recycled the Somm Journal without looking at it, as I had my interest piqued by a conversation with a Napa cab producer who has been using it. I haven’t really looked into it, but according to my friend who uses it, the comparison to formulaic point-chasing protocols is unfair. (Though it might fairly be said to reflect the Napa focus on volume/texture.) He uses it, firstly, to assess the phenolic potential of different vineyards. Secondarily, he uses it to decide when to end maceration at the point of diminishing anthocyanin extraction – in order to avoid ending up with a tannin/anthocyanin imbalance. I could see it providing interesting feedback on things like co-fermentation and later stage operations like lees stirring, fining, filtration, etc.

7

Tom,

I worked with Scott when I was at Davis. He was really into the Adams Harbertson Assay, the assay I used as part of my Masters Thesis.

There certainly is ‘value’ in looking at these numbers . . .

Cheers.

8

Looks like this is the same Scott McLoed who is the winemaker for Skywalker Vineyards in Marin County.

9

I found this statement in the OP quite funny:

a simple little ole country Computational Physicist

Nice work, as always, TomHill

10

Always spoken in my finest SamErvin Southern drawl!!! [snort.gif]
Tom

11

let’s see the pictures so the rest of us can make an informed decision re the magazine’s quality!

12

Interesting feedback, Stewart. The datapoints certainly can provide insight into potentials for new vineyard selection, fermentation protocols, blending, and a lot of other things. They certainly are not ‘absolutes’, though, and that’s always the ‘challenge’ with these things. Would love to see datapoints of 'successes ’ and ones that did not go as planned for more insight . . .

13

Yep, same guy indeed . . .

14

Thanks for your insights, Stewart. My comparison to Leo’s EnoLogix was really more TIC than anything.

So you sign up for Scott’s service and have a bunch of phenolic numbers dumped in your lap. What does it tell you? How do you make use of them?
That’s the real questions I was asking. It’s not clear from the WebSite, but I assume the consulting services Scott provides guides you in some way or another.
And, not being a winemaker, I have no idea what those numbers mean.

Ridge does very thorough lab analytics on their wines (and always have since the early days when Leo worked there) and uses Leo’s EnoLogix service…
but just to provide them w/ the numbers. At the end of the day, though, they still base all their decisions on taste.

Tom