Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/467731
5 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 2 015 w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m f everyone on your winegrowing and wine- making teams shares a common language, there's less risk involved when it comes to making crucial decisions. Few would argue that the most crucial decision a winemaker faces is when to pick. Beyond establishing intentions for the style and quality of the finished wine, making confident, proactive picking decisions relies on accurately assessing levels of ripe- ness. This acquired skill is one that vineyard managers and winemak- ers typically master through trial and error as they learn to speak the same language when describ- ing degrees of fruit maturity and other sought-after qualities. Using the analytical method of Berry Sensory Analysis (BSA), a technique to describe the charac- teristics of grape maturity devel- oped by Jacques Rousseau at the Institut Coopératif du Vin in Mont- pellier, France, and introduced in Northern California by Enartis Vinquiry in 2006, winemakers can confidently assess fruit quality for specific wine styles and, in turn, gain more control over harvest timing decisions and production methods. Such is the case for Calistoga grower Gabriella Paoletti of Paolet- ti Vineyards, who has been making maturity decisions for 20 years. BSA has helped Paoletti quantify what was largely an intuitive and anecdotal process and she now BY DEBORAH PARKER WONG BY DEBORAH PARKER WONG Berry Sens o ry Analysis + Berry Sensory Analysis (BSA) provides a common language for describing the characteristics of grape maturity. + BSA is an accurate, rigor- ous method of sensory eval- uation that limits personal variability and reduces risk. + It is used in conjunction with chemical analysis to provide winemakers with a precise assessment of maturity. + The technique guides wine- growers in making informed picking and winemaking process decisions. AT A GLANCE A common language for describing maturity