Beyond sweating in the wine aisle

“A chemical engineer in her natural habitat.” This is how my friend described me as we toured Bodega Domiciano, passing by large bioreactors I’d previously only modeled as “black boxes” on paper in classes like biochemical engineering and fluid mechanics. I asked the winemaker about the fermentation process, productivity and yield metrics, and global warming’s impact on the harvest. Newly 21, my love for wine was previously satisfied by documentaries like Somm and Sour Grapes, studying labels in the wine section of any grocery store (and sweating as if I’d get caught just for looking), and occasionally, a taste. Since the days of sweating in the wine aisle, I’ve continued to grow my curiosity through tasting (also a way to connect with my Dad), brewing, and asking so many questions to winemakers and search engines. 

I’ve always had a thirst for understanding the natural world— how things are made, the art of creating something new, the natural world’s role in controlling harvests, yet there are some factors (that are not scientific) that have been harder to explain by just referencing a [insert German scientist’s last name] theorem. I’m in this class to better understand these factors; to learn about the market dynamics that characterize the wine industry, to understand branding strategy, and to understand the forces that influence wine’s evolving reputation. How does label design impact consumer choice? How do you protect authenticity? How does an emerging region strategize its rise to prominence? How does a well-known region innovate when its identity is perhaps tied to tradition and consistency?

Also, I’m taking this class to get a little closer to the brilliance of the GSB. The little I currently know about branding, marketing, and distribution is thanks to any prep I did for consulting interviews (thanks, Victor Chen) and what I know from my experience as a consumer. So there’s a lot to learn (and what better way to learn these concepts than applied to the wine industry?!), and I already feel quite lucky to have been surrounded by such brilliance in class #1.