What does an Enologist do?

There are several different people needed to run a winery. A critical position, but one you may not know about, is the Enologist.

An Enologist is a member of the winemaking team that is responsible for the chemistry and biology of the wine. Similar to a winemaker, they spend time in the vineyard and cellar but in addition, Enologists are often in the lab, running tests and analyses on the wine.

There are several characteristics of wine such as acid level, microbial activity and nutrient levels that must be monitored and tested to ensure they are exactly where they need to be. From these tests, winemakers make adjustments as needed to ensure the highest quality wines.

Another important role of an Enologist is monitoring sugar and acid levels during harvest. These are critical to helping a winemaker decide the best time for vineyards to be picked.

Eriq Davila joined as CRŪ Winery’s Enologist in 2023. With seven years of experience in enology and winemaking, he has been an important addition to the team working closely with winemaker Jose Reyes on crafting quality, highly acclaimed wines.