Unveiling Sauvignon blanc: Exploring its Secrets from Vineyards to Bottle (includes tasting)
January 29, 2025
12:45 pm - 2:30 pm
Unveiling Sauvignon blanc: Exploring its Secrets from Vineyards to Bottle (includes tasting)
Sauvignon Blanc stands out as one of the most versatile and increasingly popular grape varieties, with its consumption steadily rising over the past four years. What sets Sauvignon Blanc apart is its distinctive profile, characterized by vibrant acidity and expressive aromas. To further enhance these sought-after traits, winemakers employ a range of techniques, each method contributing to the wine’s unique character. This tasting session will explore these different styles from Washington, California, and New Zealand and the techniques at our disposal from vineyard practices to winemaking decisions presented by a winemaker from each region. How do we create thiols, and do we really want them? Elizabeth Tomasino from Oregon State, our moderator, along with Philippe Darriet from the University of Bordeaux help us understand the pathways for success.
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Moderator
Elizabeth Tomasino
Organization:
Oregon State University, Corvallis
Dr. Elizabeth Tomasino is an Associate Professor of enology at Oregon State University and a core member of the Oregon Wine Research Institute. Elizabeth’s Ph.D. in Oenology was earned from Lincoln University in New Zealand and incorporated components of microbiology, winemaking, sensory science, chemistry, and food science.
A Wine Enthusiast’s 2022 Wine Star Awards winner, Tomasino was recognized as an “Innovator of the Year” for her research on grape smoke exposure and smoke taint in wine. She has been involved in research projects for E & J Gallo, Yalumba Winery, Robert Mondavi Winery, Giesen Wine Estates, and Pernod Ricard NZ. Her current research program is at the interface of wine chemistry and sensory. Of particular interest, she links chemical compounds to sensory perception, exploring the many interactions that occur.
Tomasino has also developed predictive models for tropical fruit aromas in white wine and continues in her quest to unravel the many issues surrounding winemaking grapes impacted by smoke exposure and the prevalence of smoke taint in wine from smoke-impacted vintages. She is open to new ideas and collaborations and welcomes the chance to discuss and enjoy wine.
Speakers
Philippe Darriet
Organization:
University of Bordeaux, France
Prof Philippe Darriet is Managing Director of the Institute of Vine and Wine Sciences (ISVV) at the University of Bordeaux. Since his PhD thesis in 1993 on Sauvignon Blanc aroma, he has been doing research on the aromatic component of wines including Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, Viognier, focusing on the trace odorant compounds involved in their typical aromatic nuances. He is interested in aroma-related aspects of viticulture, winemaking and aging processes. With his research group, his work has led to the publication of 100 peer-reviewed articles, some of them linked to interdisciplinary projects on aroma, in relation to the impact and adaptation to climate change, or on the sensory perception of wines by consumers.
Philippe recently coordinated the revision of the HandBook of Enology (Wiley) initiated under the direction of the late Pascal Ribéreau-Gayon (OIV prize in 2022). He teaches winemaking and sensory evaluation at ISVV, and participates in ISVV’s tasting training at Bordeaux University, where the DUAD (Diplome d’Aptitude à la Dégustation) celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2024. Philippe belongs to a family producing noble-rot sweet wines.
Ashley Egelhoff
Organization:
Honig Vineyard and Winery, California
Born and raised in Los Angeles, it wasn’t until Ashley Egelhoff entered into her first year at UC Davis that she was introduced to the idea of winemaking as a career. Originally studying bio and life science, she quickly transferred to the Viticulture and Enology department after taking an Introduction to Winemaking course. After graduating from UC Davis with a BS in Viticulture and Enology, Ashley worked two harvests in Napa with an additional harvest in Argentina sandwiched in between. She joined the Honig team in 2012 as Enologist, was promoted into the role of Assistant Winemaker, and in 2023 moved into the role of Winemaker.
David Rosenthal
Organization:
Partnership Wine Consulting, Washington
David is Winemaking Consultant with 24 years of winery experience in California, Oregon, Australia, New Zealand, and Washington state.
After graduating from the University of Puget Sound in 2001 with a degree in Marine biology, David got his start in Napa Valley as a harvest lab intern. David returned to Washington and joined Chateau Ste. Michelle as a lab technician through 2006. Realizing winemaking was his true passion and wanting to gain more experience, David took winemaking internships in Victoria, Australia and then in the Willamette Valley.
In 2007, David rejoined the Chateau Ste. Michelle winemaking team, ultimately taking on the role of Head White Winemaker in 2015. David continued the storied tradition of exceptional winemaking overseeing 3 million cases of annual production and adding to an extensive list of high scoring wines and accolades.
In 2023 David founded Partnership Wine Consulting and quickly built a roster of clients composed of some of Washington’s most iconic wineries. Without compromise David helps wineries craft small-lot, ultra-premium wines as well as larger nationally distributed wines.