Hildegarde Heymann
Description: Hildegarde Heymann is a Distinguished Professor and Ray Rossi Endowed Chair in Viticulture and Enology at UC Davis. Dr. Heymann has worked in all areas of sensory science, evaluating a wide array of food and non-food items like wine. In this episode we talk about the principles and history of sensory science including how we quantify the science of perception. Additionally we talk about wine, food pairings, and how the california wildfires impacted grape quality. We hope you enjoy
Websites: Hildegarde Heymann
Publications:
A Personal History of Sensory Science
Novel Techniques in Sensory Characterization
Sensory Effects of Consuming Cheese Prior to Evaluating Red Wine Flavor
Regional Sensory and Chemical Characteristics of Malbec Wines
Resources:
Show Notes:
[01:00] Background, how you got to Davis, and what got you interested in Viticulture & Enology and sensory science?
[03:00] What is sensory science?
[04:15] Could you give a brief description of the history of sensory science?
[06:15] Does sensory science include chemistry?
[07:50] How do you keep sensory science objective and how do you scale consumer satisfaction?
[11:40] How do you establish a baseline when performing descriptive analysis in analytical sensory science?
[15:55] Is there a gender difference between sensory perception?
[17:10] Are gender ratios better nowadays in your field?
[17:30] How do descriptive analysis results get marketed to consumers?
[18:05] How do these processes carry over across different kind of beverages beyond wine?
[19:20] What are car manufacturer sensory scientists looking for?
[20:10] What are hyper vs hypo-tasters?
[26:15] How quantifiable is perception?
[28:10] Can we train the ability to taste better?
[29:35] What are the best methods to taste a wine?
[34:00] How long does wine last after opening?
[35:40] How does context impact perception?
[38:00] How do food pairings impact wine choices?
[43:45] What do sommeliers think about when choosing certain wines?
[44:50] How should beginners think about tasting wines?
[47:00] What are the most prominent compounds in wines that impact flavor?
[49:00] What are tannins?
[51:00] How do we get sweetness in wines?
[51:55] How do blended wines work?
[53:20] Why are some regions more popular than others for wine or types of wine?
[55:00] Why don’t you like the use of terroir?
[55:35] How did the wildfires impact Napa Valley in recent years?
[57:15] Can you remove smoke from wine during processing?
[57:35] How is climate change impacting wine production?
[59:00] Does smoke impact the vines of grapes or just the fruit and leaves?
[59:45] Is there research on the number of leaves on a vine and grape quality outcome?
[1:01:10] What is the general timeline to produce wine after planting vines?
[1:02:00] Why do people believe that old wine is better?
[1:03:50] If you were to begin your own winery, what steps would you take?
[1:05:00] How should people go about buying wine?
[1:07:30] Do you have any advice for students looking to get into the wine industry?