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1 4 V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T | M a r - A p r 2 014 w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m is very competitive with other com- mon laboratory tests for wine. Rich- ardson, a molecular biologist, noted, "The technology is viable and the costs will continue to drop." Richardson said he sees poten- tial for applications in myriad indus- tries, "as a proactive way of looking at cleaning," though the company is focusing on the wine industry in the short term. "It's a discovery tool that allows people to under- stand what microbes are present in their wineries and vineyards," he said, citing a study conducted by Mills that "mapped" the microbial terroir of the UC Davis winery. The data was used to create heat maps of microbial populations over time, alerting winemakers to the growth of "bad bugs" that could have an impact on wine quality. It's likely, said Richardson, that the technology will be adopted for use as routine preventative main- tenance, allowing winemakers to monitor the health of the winery a few times a year. "We also expect that it will be useful as a manage- ment tool for modifying practices and testing for cleanliness in the vineyard." While microbial terroir doesn't detect differences in the flavor, aroma and other sensory proper- ties of wines, Mills suggested that growers and vintners may be able to better plan how to manage their vineyards and customize wine pro- duction to improve wine quality. "With a greater understanding of the relationship between production region, climate and microbial pat- terns, winegrowers will have more control within these systems." In late 2013, VinePair.com pub- lished the VinePair Wine Web Power Index, which ranks the influ- ence of selected wine websites and mobile applications within the United States. The site analyzed 33 wine-focused publications, forums and apps, taking into account web traffic, social media influence and organic search relevance. Online price aggregator Wine- Searcher.com earned the top spot in the VinePair Index. The No. 2 and No. 3 spots were filled not by bloggers or Internet startups, but by traditional media outlets Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast. "It's no surprise to see tradi- tional media at the top when you're looking through a consumer-facing lens," said Paul Mabray of VinTank, who publishes his own Winery Social Index Top 50. "They have a better rating due in part to advertis- ing and search engine optimization." The same holds true for online retailers Lot18, Snooth and Wines- TilSoldOut (WTSO), which captured the next three spots. The Jancis Robinson and Wine Folly blogs, Club W (a wine club site) and the label-scanning application Vivino rounded out the top 10. The VinePair index compiled data WINE WEB INFLUENCE RANKED