We collaborate with academic researchers, industry partners, growers, and producers to advance understanding of grape and wine flavor chemistry. Our analytical capabilities and expertise in mass spectrometry enable projects ranging from fundamental to applied research.
Our Capabilities
- GC–MS/MS for volatile compound analysis
- LC–MS/MS for non-volatile metabolites and precursors
- High-resolution mass spectrometry for structural elucidation
- Untargeted metabolomics for discovery and profiling
- Quantitative method development and validation
Research Expertise
- Identification of unknown flavor compounds
- Quantitation of targeted volatiles and precursors
- Climate and environmental impacts on flavor chemistry
- Fermentation chemistry and microbial metabolites
- Vineyard treatment effects on chemical composition
- Chemical transformations during processing and aging
Current Focus Areas
- Our collaborative work currently focuses on:
- Climate and environmental impacts on wine flavor chemistry
- Develop validated analytical methods to quantify known and unknown smoke markers in grapes and wine
- Evaluate the effecacy of barrier spray treatment to mitigate smoke taints in grapes and wine
- Identification of novel flavor-active metabolites
- Discover and structurally characterize novel flavor-active compounds using targeted or non-targeted metabolomics and sensory-guided detection
- Elucidate biosynthetic precursors and transformation pathways for key aroma compounds
- Viticultural and enological effects on flavor management
- Quantify temporal changes in volatile composition during post-harvest storage and processing to optimize aroma expression
- Define sulfur metabolite dynamics during oxidative and reductive aging to establish quality markers for wine aging
- Regional and/or varietal flavor characterization
- Establish regional volatile signatures and terroir-specific metabolite markers for varietal characterization
Academic Research Collaboration
We establish collaborative research programs linking flavor chemistry to viticulture, enology, sensory science, microbiology, and climate science. Collaborations involve joint grant development, co-mentorship of graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, and integration of complementary analytical and experimental approaches.
Industry Partnerships
We develop research partnerships addressing production-relevant questions in vineyard fruit quality assessment, fermentation optimization, smoke exposure quantification, and matrix-specific method validation. Projects integrate analytical measurements with production parameters to generate actionable insights.
Contract Research Services
- Fee-for-service analytical testing is available on a limited basis contingent on laboratory capacity and alignment with training objectives. Services include:
- Unknown compound identification in grape and wine samples
- Quantitative analysis of targeted flavor compounds
- Method development for specific analytes
- Comprehensive metabolomic profiling
- Analysis of samples from vineyard or winemaking trials
Grower and Winemaker Consultation
Consultations address specific questions linking viticultural practices, harvest maturity, fermentation management, and aging protocols to wine flavor chemistry and sensory quality.