In fiction, winemaking is often described as an art. In reality, wine production is a much more knowledge-intensive process than an intuitive one. Oenologists are specialists responsible for the scientific part of winemaking as an industrial production.
Oenology is primarily a laboratory science. The standard working day of an oenologist consists of conducting a series of wine analyzes at different stages of production. At the strategic level, the results of these analyzes are designed to help in making decisions to improve the quality of wine, and at the operational level, they help to monitor compliance with the technology at all stages and identify any problem before it spoils a whole batch of an expensive product.
Many characteristics of wine cannot be determined by color, taste or smell, for example, the percentage of nutrients, acid and sugar, the level of activity of microorganisms. Testing these components is very important to correct and preserve what needs to be corrected or retained for a particular wine variety. During harvest, the oenologist monitors the sugar and acidity levels of the grapes to help the winemaker make the right decision about when to pick the berries.
The oenologist also monitors the wine at the bottling stage to ensure that sanitary conditions are observed and that the temperature and microbiological composition of the wine remain unchanged after bottling.
This profession is great for people who combine love of science and wine. Working in a small winery is different from working in a large winery, where specialists spend all their time in the laboratory. There are significant differences in the scope of work from season to season.
The responsibilities of an oenologist in a small enterprise include taking samples from tanks and barrels for analysis, maintaining laboratory equipment, monitoring the movement and condition of wine in wine cellars, participating in wine tours and tastings, and during harvest - sensory assessment and daily management of fermentation processes. …
The oenologist, in addition to the flawless functioning of the taste and olfactory receptors, needs to have an analytical mind and a willingness to solve problems. Patience is also necessary, as there are many variables in the biochemistry of winemaking, and sometimes it can be difficult to understand why a wine behaves in a certain way.