By Jeanne Laforge, Eco2Wine Doctoral Candidate 

I’ve always been captivated by the wide range of scents and flavours in wine, from the sweetness of my grandmother’s strawberry marmalade to the fresh scent of newly cut grass. This ability of each grape variety to ‘speak’ for itself, reflecting the characteristics of the vineyard and winemaker, has always fascinated me, especially when little other intervention was involved.

However, when I started experimenting with fermentations, I quickly realised that “minimal intervention” isn’t as simple as it sounds—ironically, the less you intervene, the more work is required. Native yeasts in the grape juice interact with each other in complicated ways, dictating the fermentation process. Understanding this process is like trying to peek into a closed box to discover what is inside. These tiny interactions have a considerable impact on wine, but how is the big secret that I am trying to uncover.

For my PhD research for the Eco2Wine project, I am studying how different types of yeast interact during fermentation. I use a combination of five yeast species (called a consortium) to understand how they work together to create the flavours we taste in wine. This is the magic of wine, but I want to make sure that the only surprises you get are good ones.

However, the closed box is not giving up its secrets easily.

The challenges of a complex process

Since grape harvests only come around once a year, I am conducting fermentations in synthetic grape must, but I quickly learned that it doesn’t always replicate the nuances of real grape must. The first question to investigate is therefore how closely the results from synthetic must translate to the real thing. Building the five-species yeast consortium and optimising the fermentation process has also proven more complicated than I anticipated. Another hurdle I encountered was biomass production. To overcome this, I scaled back to small-scale fermentations for the 2025 harvest, but the challenge will arise again when I transition to larger-scale experiments. I’m optimistic that I will have found a solution by the next harvest.

Adapting and changing plans is just part of the game, and the challenges have also led to opportunities and benefits.

The power of collaboration

With my background in chemicals, working in a microbiology laboratory has been challenging, but it has also opened exciting opportunities to explore this new world and expand my knowledge.

Furthermore, collaborating with my incredible colleagues has become one of my greatest strengths. We regularly discuss our findings, troubleshoot problems, and share insights to improve our methods. These conversations have taught me an important lesson: do not be afraid to admit when things go wrong. Chances are, someone else has faced a similar issue and can offer valuable advice. Working together creates an essential synergy that helps us all progress more efficiently.

So, though the journey has many challenges, I am confident that I will be able to uncover what is hidden in that closed box and share the secrets of fermentation to the benefit of the wine industry at large.