Winery Presents Findings on Thiol Production at WiVi Central Coast
SALINAS, California – March 14, 2019 – Scheid Family Wines (SFW) presented the results of their Thiol Production Trials at the WiVi Central Coast event on March 13, 2019 at the Paso Robles Event Center.
SFW’s presentation was conducted by Casey DiCesare, Assistant Winemaker and Enologist; Dave Terry, Viticulturist; and Jonathan Masse, Lab Manager. Each trial was designed to identify best practices on a commercial scale to advance the quality and stylistic diversity of Sauvignon Blanc by targeting the enhancement of thiols. SFW also looked to expand the aroma profile of Sauvignon Blanc in order to create a larger ‘spice rack’ of flavors and aromas for blending purposes. Of the seven individual Sauvignon Blanc trials conducted by SFW, three were selected to be presented at WiVi.
“The wine world is just now starting to recognize Monterey County as one of the best places in California for Sauvignon Blanc,” said Heidi Scheid, Executive Vice President of Scheid Family Wines. “We are fortunate to have extensive plantings at both warm and cold climates sites in the Salinas Valley. This allows us to examine the divergent aspects of Sauvignon Blanc’s personality ranging from ripe melons to grass and gooseberry.”
The three individual trials presented at WiVi included:
- Varietal Thiol Development in Sauvignon Blanc Through Leaf Pulling at Various Phenological Stages
- Use of a Nutritional Supplement to Stimulate Thiol Release in Sauvignon Blanc Wine
- ARC Nutrient Trial in Sauvignon Blanc
“There is some agreement in the literature that fruit exposure and/or water stress can produce the precursors necessary for the increased expression of thiols in Sauvignon Blanc,” said Casey DiCesare, Assistant Winemaker and Enologist. “We set out to see how these techniques would interact with our specific growing conditions and farming techniques. Two blocks with identical clones were selected for the trial and leaf pulling was conducted during pre-bloom, lag phase and veraison. We found that leaf removal had a significant impact organoleptically on thiol production and brix development. Tastings confirmed that leafing pulling during lag phase produced the most complex and interesting wines. We will repeat the trial with an additional vineyard source to confirm our original conclusions.”
The two nutrient trails were done in collaboration with Research Oenological Collaborative (ROC) and Laffort’s Applied Research Collaborative (ARC). They were designed to shed light on the impact of nutrients in the development of volatile thiols.
“Analysis and blind tastings confirmed that both studies had a moderate impact on wine aromatics in Sauvignon Blanc,” said Casey DiCesare. “The use of Nutritional Supplement shifted the wine stylistically towards box tree and gooseberry while the ARC Nutrient trial created a wine with more tropical and grassy notes. These trials showed some promise in helping to diversify the aromatic profiles in Sauvignon Blanc by targeting specific volatile thiols.”
In addition to the three trials listed above, the winemaking team at SFW also conducted additional trials involving fermentation temperatures and inoculants. SFW looks to expand its thiol studies into the 2019 harvest.
About WiVi Central Coast
WiVi Central Coast is the premier wine and viticulture symposium and trade show in Central California. It features 45,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space with nearly 200 exhibits and hundreds of new products, product demonstrations, educational seminars and networking opportunities for winemakers, grape growers, winery owners and managers. This one-day conference and tradeshow features sessions by top industry leaders on regional viticulture, enology and DTC topics and gives attendees the opportunity to understand and experience new trends and technology. For more information please visit www.wivicentralcoast.com.
About Scheid Family Wines
Scheid Family Wines has farmed wine grapes in Monterey County, California since 1972. With 4,000 acres of sustainably-certified vineyards located along a 70-mile spread of the Salinas Valley and a state-of-the-art winery, Scheid Family Wines is fully-integrated to bring high quality estate grown wines to the marketplace. The Scheid Family Wines nationally-distributed portfolio includes Scheid Vineyards, District 7, Ryder Estate, Ranch 32, Metz Road, VDR, Stokes’ Ghost and Roku. In addition, Scheid Family Wines produces over 20 regionally distributed brands for specific clients or distributors. For more information please visit www.scheidfamilywines.com.
