[metanoia]

This sounds really great, and I think that this will open up a new frontier in winemaking.

One question I have is how you plan to replicate terroir. TA, Brix & pH are great indications of when to harvest but drainage, soil composition, sun direction, duration, diurnal temperature swings, seasonal temperature patterns, wild microbes, etc. all have a significant effect on the outcome of the wine.

For those who aren't into winemaking: the most enduring, famous wines such are not just famous because of winemaking technique but because of the specific place - even down to the rows of vines - the grapes are sourced from.

Assuming consistent winemaking technique from a cellarmaster, when you get to the point where you can control all those variables and get to the outcome you want at the individual vine level, then comes blending, which takes flavor profiles from wines made from various plots and/or vineyards and selects for specific flavor profiles to make up the final wine.

So, you'd have to achieve what you're proposing at scale as well as with variation across different "lots" so that you can "replace the vineyard" for a given winemaker.

Just food for thought, I like the idea but I think there's more thought that needs to go into your product development and target market.

They say that wines are made in the vineyard, and that has been true for a long time, but with modern techniques, it's hard to tell if a wine was made in the vineyard, the cellar, or in the lab.

[jmheflin]

Thanks for your thoughts!

Indoor growing would allow us to replicate certain conditions that vineyard managers want. Vine nutrient stresses, water stresses, direct light exposure, swings in temp, all doable using hydroponics in a greenhouse. We might even set up different greenhouses for different varieties, or for different levels of berry maturity. As I understand it, most of the different flavors between wines of the same variety come from decisions made during the winemaking process. You can make two very different tasting wines from the exact same grapes (they did this experiment at UC Davis). Choice of yeast, fermentation temperature, maceration time etc. all contribute as you mentioned. My goal is not to replace the vineyard, as I need a source for the cuttings :). This would just augment what they already have for now.