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 From royal courts in 17th-century France to today’s celebrations around the world, sparkling wine has captured attention for centuries. In this episode of The Wine Lab, host Andreea Botezatu explains how sparkling wines are made, from traditional Champagne techniques to Prosecco’s Charmat method and beyond. We’ll look at the role of secondary fermentation, explore different sweetness levels, highlight the major regions producing sparkling wine, and share the story of La Veuve Clicquot, the woman who changed sparkling wine production forever. 

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In this episode of The Wine Lab, we explore the unseen world of yeast—the microscopic winemakers transforming grape juice into wine. 

From lab-selected commercial strains to wild, spontaneous fermentations and even wineries culturing their own native yeasts, we uncover how these tiny organisms shape wine’s flavor, texture, and identity. 

Along the way, we touch on yeast’s long history in human culture—from bread to beer to Bordeaux. 

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Why does a glass of wine smell like blackberries, jasmine, or freshly cut herbs—when it’s made entirely from grapes? 

In this episode, we explore the complex and fascinating science of wine aroma.

 From compounds naturally found in grapes and flowers to the transformative role of fermentation and microbes, we trace how scent molecules form, evolve, and interact with our senses. 

We’ll also examine how genetics, memory, and culture shape the way we experience wine, and why no two noses interpret it quite the same way. 

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In this episode of The Wine Lab, we swirl through the science of malolactic fermentation (MLF), the process that can soften wine and elevate complexity, but also invite spoilage and instability, especially in high pH wines. We break down what MLF actually is, why winemakers use it, when they avoid it, and how to manage its benefits and risks with precision.

Perfect for winemakers, wine students, and curious wine lovers.

For more in-depth information on this topic you can watch this webinar, which is part of my Enology Webinars Series.: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0tf6XRqRlg&list=PL3ahyvW-3wQrSRJO1BEvEpJS8ISBZH_D0&index=37

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Can a splash of sour grape juice make wines better in a warming world? 

In this episode, we explore how verjus—juice from unripe grapes—can improve wine chemistry, reduce alcohol, and enhance sustainability in hot-climate winemaking. Based on research from Texas A&M University.

 👉 Read the full paper

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Can fewer grapes mean better wine? In this episode of The Wine Lab, Dr. Andreea Botezatu explores the science behind cluster thinning, a time-honored but hotly debated vineyard practice. Drawing from a recent narrative systematic review, we break down what the research really says about its impact on wine aroma, phenolics, sensory quality, and economic viability. Whether you’re managing a vineyard or just love wine science, this episode offers practical insights to help you make informed decisions.

📄 Read the full paper here:
https://oeno-one.eu/article/view/8238

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We’ve all heard of “corked” wine — but what if that wet dog smell isn’t the cork’s fault at all? In this episode of The Wine Lab, we explore the fascinating and frustrating world of haloanisoles: TCA, TBA, TeCA, PCA, and their highly aromatic footprint in wine.

These powerful compounds can travel through the air, cling to barrels and insulation, and even sabotage stainless steel tanks. Learn about their origins, their impact on sensory perception, the limits of closures like screwcaps and synthetic corks, and the cutting-edge methods being developed to detect and remove them.

Whether you’re a winemaker, sommelier, or just a curious wine geek, this episode uncorks the real story behind “cork taint” — and why it’s time to call it haloanisole taint.

To read the full paper that the episode is based on, visit: https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/28/6/2532

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From Neolithic pottery shards to golden amphorae sealed for millennia, the world’s oldest wines tell us more than just what ancient people drank — they reveal how wine shaped trade, ritual, and daily life across civilizations. In this episode, we journey through some of the most remarkable archaeological wine finds, explore the science used to identify them, and imagine what these ancient vintages might have tasted like.

Glossary

Qvevri (also spelled Kvevri)

Large, egg-shaped clay vessels used in Georgia for fermenting, aging, and storing traditional wine—usually buried underground or set into the floor. They’ve been integral to Georgian winemaking for millennia.
 

Pithoi

Very large earthenware storage jars used throughout the ancient Greek world—sometimes as tall as a human—used for storing bulk foods or liquids like grain and wine, sometimes even used for burial.
 

Krater

A large, two-handled Greek vessel used for mixing wine with water. In ancient symposia, it stood centrally, and wine would be served from it using other vessels.

Amphora(e)

Two-handled, narrow-necked jars used across the ancient Mediterranean—as storage and transport containers for wine and olive oil. Common in maritime trade and often inscribed with workshop or content details.
 

Symposium (Symposion)

An elite Greek social gathering held after dinner—men reclining, drinking, and engaging in music, poetry, or philosophical discussion. The setting often included kraters and specialized drinking cups.

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 In this episode of The Wine Lab, host Andreea Botezatu unpacks the misunderstood world of sulfites in wine — what they are, what they do, and why that warning label exists. From antioxidant chemistry to ancient winemaking tricks, we look at how sulfur dioxide protects wine, explore common myths - like the one about sulfites and headaches - and even dive into the science of those rare sulfite sensitivities. Expect a splash of history, a little rock ‘n’ roll, and a few nerdy detours into redox chemistry. 

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 Wine shimmers across the history of art: painted on Egyptian tomb walls, poured into Greek amphorae, celebrated in Roman mosaics, lifted in Renaissance chalices, and glowing in Impressionist picnics. In this episode of The Wine Lab, we follow its journey through image, poetry, and song, tracing how wine has carried sacred meanings, earthly joys, and artistic inspiration across millennia—ending with Pablo Neruda’s luminous Ode to Wine.

Amphora
A tall, two-handled clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome to store and transport wine. Often decorated with painted scenes.

Dionysus / Bacchus
The Greek (Dionysus) and Roman (Bacchus) gods of wine, fertility, and festivity. Frequently depicted with vines, ivy crowns, satyrs, and panthers.

Symposium
A Greek banquet or drinking party where men gathered to drink wine, discuss philosophy, and enjoy poetry, music, and games.

Kottabos
A popular drinking game played at Greek symposia, where participants flung the dregs of their wine at a target, often while reclining.

Maenads
Female followers of Dionysus in Greek mythology, often shown in ecstatic dances, symbolizing the wild, frenzied side of wine and ritual.

Carmina Burana
A medieval collection of Latin songs and poems (12th–13th century) written by wandering students and clergy. Includes both religious hymns and bawdy drinking songs. Later set to music by composer Carl Orff.

In Taberna Quando Sumus
One of the most famous drinking songs from Carmina Burana, describing the chaos and revelry inside a tavern.

Cistercians and Benedictines
Catholic monastic orders in medieval Europe. They preserved viticulture knowledge and carefully cultivated vineyards, especially in Burgundy, often recording early observations of terroir.

Terroir
A French term describing the unique combination of soil, climate, and geography that shapes the character of a wine. First systematically studied by monastic orders in the Middle Ages.

Mission Grape
The first European grape variety planted in the Americas by Spanish missionaries, used for sacramental wine in Mexico, Chile, and later California.

Counter-Reformation
A movement within the Catholic Church (16th–17th centuries) responding to Protestant Reformation. In art, it emphasized realism and emotional intensity—Caravaggio’s gritty, dramatic paintings reflect this style.

Jan Steen
A Dutch Golden Age painter known for lively, chaotic tavern and household scenes, often using spilled wine and misbehavior as moral lessons.

Ode to Wine
A lyrical poem by Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, celebrating wine as both an earthly pleasure and a cosmic force.

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 Is wine really “full of sugar”? What about those “zero sugar” labels, or the idea that wine is keto-friendly? In this episode of The Wine Lab, Andreea breaks down what you need to know about sugar in wine — from grapes on the vine to yeast in the tank, from chaptalization in Burgundy to back-sweetening in Riesling, and from Champagne dosage to carbs and calories. Along the way, we’ll uncover what’s legal, what’s marketing, and what really ends up in your glass. 

Glossary

• Glucose & Fructose – The natural grape sugars fermented by yeast into alcohol and carbon dioxide.
• Residual Sugar (RS) – Natural grape sugar left in wine after fermentation is stopped or incomplete. The main source of carbohydrates in wine.
• Chaptalization – Adding sugar before fermentation to increase alcohol, not sweetness. Legal in many cooler regions (e.g., Burgundy, Germany), illegal in warmer regions (e.g., California, Italy, Spain).
• Back-sweetening – Adding grape juice, concentrate, or in some U.S. states, sugar after fermentation to increase sweetness. EU law restricts this to grape-derived products only.
• Süssreserve – A German method of back-sweetening where unfermented grape juice is reserved and blended into the wine after fermentation.
• Dosage – In sparkling wines, a small addition of sugar solution before corking that sets the final sweetness level (e.g., Brut Nature, Brut, Demi-Sec).
• Fortification – Adding a spirit such as brandy to stop fermentation, leaving natural grape sugar in the wine (e.g., Port, Madeira).
• Dry Wine – A wine where nearly all sugars have been fermented away, leaving little or no residual sugar.
• Sweet Wine – A wine with sugar remaining in the finished product, either naturally or through winemaking choices.
• Keto-friendly Wines – Typically dry wines with 1–3 g of carbs per 5 oz glass, low enough to fit into a ketogenic diet.

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In the late 1800s, an almost invisible insect began destroying Europe’s vineyards. This episode of The Wine Lab takes you inside the phylloxera crisis — from the first mysterious vine deaths in France to the desperate experiments, scientific breakthroughs, and global collaboration that saved wine from near extinction. Along the way, we meet the heroes of the story, including Texan horticulturist T.V. Munson, whose work with American rootstocks helped rescue French viticulture. Discover how this tiny pest reshaped winemaking traditions, why grafted vines are now the global standard, and why phylloxera is still with us today.

Glossary 

Phylloxera – The root-feeding insect that caused the 19th-century wine crisis.

• Current scientific name: Daktulosphaira vitifoliae (Fitch, 1855)
• Historical name: Phylloxera vastatrix (“devastating phylloxera”), the term used during the crisis and still found in many older accounts.

Vitis vinifera – The European grape species from which most classic wine varieties (Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Chardonnay, etc.) are derived.

Rootstock – The lower portion of a grafted vine, made from a resistant American grape species or hybrid, providing roots and protection from phylloxera and soil stresses.

Scion – The upper portion of a grafted vine, which grows the shoots, leaves, and grape clusters. Determines the grape variety and wine style.

Cambium – The thin layer of actively dividing cells just under the bark of a plant. When the cambium layers of scion and rootstock align during grafting, they fuse and allow nutrient and water flow.

Grafting – The horticultural technique of joining a scion to a rootstock so they grow as one plant. Grafting European Vitis vinifera onto American rootstocks is the standard global solution to phylloxera.

Hybrid grape – A vine bred by crossing Vitis vinifera with American grape species to combine resistance and adaptability. Early hybrids were criticized for producing wines with unfamiliar “foxy” aromas but are experiencing renewed interest in modern viticulture.

Ungrafted vine – A vine growing on its own roots, without grafting. Rare today except in sandy soils or in phylloxera-free regions such as much of Chile and the Canary Islands.

Rioja Boom – The surge in Spanish wine production and modernization of Rioja in the late 19th century, driven by French wine merchants escaping phylloxera devastation in France.

Chevalier du Mérite Agricole – A French agricultural honor awarded to T.V. Munson in 1888 for his contributions in selecting American rootstocks that saved European vineyards.

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Cork is everywhere in the world of wine, from the quiet of a cellar to the noise of a celebration. But how did this small stopper come to influence the way wines age, the rituals of opening a bottle, and even the way we think about quality? In this episode of The Wine Lab, we explore the science, the history, and the culture wrapped up in every cork, and ponder why it remains central to wine today. 

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