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The Wine Lab

The Wine Lab

Written by: Andreea Botezatu
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A sciency podcast series about wine, chemistry, flavor, smell and everything in between hosted by wine and sensory scientist, book worm and food aficionado, Andreea Botezatu.

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Episodes
  • A River Runs Through It: The Wines of the Loire Valley

    A River Runs Through It: The Wines of the Loire Valley
    Jun 1 2026
    Send me your thoughts at ibotezatu5@gmail.comIn this episode of The Wine Lab, we travel through the Loire Valley, one of France’s most diverse and historically layered wine regions. Following the river from the Atlantic coast inland, we explore Muscadet, Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc, Crémant de Loire, rosé, and lesser-known varieties such as Romorantin and Pineau d’Aunis.The episode examines how geography, climate, limestone soils, lees aging, noble rot, aromatic compounds, acidity, and winemaking choices shape Loire wines. Along the way, we visit cultural landmarks and historical figures connected to the region, including the châteaux of the Loire, Joan of Arc at Chinon, François Rabelais, and Leonardo da Vinci at Clos Lucé.Fresh, varied, food-friendly, and intellectually rewarding, Loire wines offer a remarkable lesson in how place, history, chemistry, and style come together in the glass.GlossaryLoire Valley A major French wine region following the Loire River from the Atlantic-influenced west toward central France. It is known for a wide range of wines, including dry whites, sparkling wines, sweet wines, rosés, and lighter reds.Muscadet A dry white wine from the western Loire, especially around Nantes, made from the Melon de Bourgogne grape. It is often crisp, saline, citrusy, and commonly paired with seafood.Melon de Bourgogne The grape variety used to produce Muscadet. Despite the name, the wines are generally lean, fresh, and mineral rather than melon-like.Sur lie A winemaking term meaning “on the lees.” Wines aged sur lie remain in contact with spent yeast cells after fermentation, which can add texture, subtle bread-like notes, and protection against oxidation.Lees The sediment left after fermentation, made up largely of yeast cells and other fine solids. Lees contact can influence mouthfeel, aroma, and stability.Autolysis The gradual breakdown of yeast cells after fermentation. During this process, compounds such as mannoproteins and polysaccharides may be released into the wine.Chenin Blanc A highly versatile white grape variety strongly associated with the Loire Valley. It can produce dry, off-dry, sparkling, and sweet wines, often with high acidity and aging potential.Savennières A Loire appellation known for structured, dry Chenin Blanc wines that can show firm acidity, savory notes, beeswax, quince, and strong aging potential.Coteaux du Layon A Loire appellation known especially for sweet Chenin Blanc wines, often influenced by late harvest conditions and sometimes noble rot.Bonnezeaux A prestigious sweet wine appellation within the Loire Valley, based on Chenin Blanc.Quarts de Chaume A famous Loire appellation for intensely sweet, age-worthy Chenin Blanc wines.Botrytis cinerea A fungus that can cause either destructive gray rot or beneficial noble rot, depending on conditions. In noble rot, it dehydrates grapes and concentrates sugars, acids, and flavor compounds.Noble rot The beneficial form of Botrytis infection that can produce complex sweet wines with aromas such as honey, dried apricot, marmalade, saffron, and spice.Crémant de Loire Traditional-method sparkling wine from the Loire Valley, often involving Chenin Blanc and other permitted varieties.Traditional method A sparkling wine production method in which the second fermentation takes place in the bottle. This process can contribute fine bubbles and lees-derived complexity.Cabernet Franc A red grape variety important in the Loire Valley, especially in Chinon, Bourgueil, Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil, Saumur, and Saumur-Champigny. It often produces wines with red fruit, floral notes, herbal tones, moderate tannins, and freshness.Chinon A Loire appellation famous for Cabernet Franc-based red wines. The town is also historically associated with Joan of Arc and François Rabelais.Bourgueil A Loire appellation known for Cabernet Franc wines that can range from fresh and fruity to structured and age-worthy.Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil A Cabernet Franc appellation near Bourgueil, often associated with fragrant, bright, red-fruited wines.Saumur-Champigny A Loire appellation known for Cabernet Franc reds, often showing freshness, aromatic lift, and moderate structure.Methoxypyrazines A group of aroma compounds associated with green, leafy, bell pepper, or herbaceous notes in grapes and wines.IBMP Short for 3-isobutyl-2-methoxypyrazine, an important methoxypyrazine associated with bell pepper or green vegetal aromas, especially in varieties such as Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Sauvignon Blanc.Tuffeau A soft, porous limestone found in parts of the Loire Valley, especially around Saumur and Touraine. It has been used for buildings, caves, and wine cellars.Touraine A large and diverse Loire wine area producing Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Franc, Gamay, Côt/Malbec, sparkling wines, rosés, and other styles.Romorantin A rare white grape variety associated especially with Cour-Cheverny....
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    31 mins
  • Burgundy Explained: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and the Power of Place

    Burgundy Explained: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and the Power of Place
    May 25 2026
    Send me your thoughts at ibotezatu5@gmail.comIn this episode of The Wine Lab, we continue our series on the great wine regions of the world with Burgundy, or Bourgogne, one of France’s most influential and fascinating wine regions.Burgundy is famous for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, but its true identity is built around place: villages, vineyards, slopes, soils, and precisely delimited parcels known as Climats. This episode explains the major Burgundy regions, from Chablis and the Côte d’Or to the Côte Chalonnaise and the Mâconnais, while exploring how Burgundy’s appellation hierarchy, monastic history, grape varieties, and wine styles shaped its global reputation.We also compare Burgundy and Bordeaux as color names and as wine cultures, discuss the role of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, explain terms such as Premier Cru and Grand Cru, and consider how climate change is affecting one of the world’s most place-sensitive wine regions.GlossaryBourgogne The French name for Burgundy. You will often see “Bourgogne” on wine labels instead of “Burgundy.”Burgundy A historic wine region in eastern France, best known for Pinot Noir-based red wines and Chardonnay-based white wines.Bordeaux A major wine region in southwestern France, often associated with blends based on Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and related varieties. Also used as a color name for a deep wine-red shade.Climat In Burgundy, a precisely delimited vineyard parcel with its own identity, shaped by soil, slope, exposure, history, and human cultivation.Terroir The combined influence of place on wine, including soil, climate, topography, vine material, farming, and human decision-making.Pinot Noir Burgundy’s main red grape variety. It is thin-skinned and often produces wines with red fruit, floral, earthy, and spice notes.Chardonnay Burgundy’s main white grape variety. It can produce wines ranging from crisp, citrusy, and mineral to broad, creamy, and layered.Aligoté A traditional white grape of Burgundy, often producing crisp, fresh, high-acid wines. It has been receiving renewed attention from producers and consumers.Gamay A red grape associated most strongly with Beaujolais, but also present in some Burgundy-related appellations and blends.Chablis A northern Burgundy wine area known for Chardonnay wines with bright acidity, citrus character, and often mineral or saline impressions.Côte d’Or The central and most famous part of Burgundy, divided into the Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune.Côte de Nuits The northern part of the Côte d’Or, especially famous for Pinot Noir-based red wines.Côte de Beaune The southern part of the Côte d’Or, known for both Pinot Noir and some of the world’s most famous Chardonnay-based white wines.Côte Chalonnaise A Burgundy subregion south of the Côte d’Or, producing Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Aligoté, and sparkling wines, often with strong value.Mâconnais A southern Burgundy subregion especially known for Chardonnay-based white wines, including wines from Pouilly-Fuissé, Saint-Véran, and Mâcon-Villages.Regional appellation A broad Burgundy appellation category, such as Bourgogne Rouge or Bourgogne Chardonnay. These wines usually come from wider geographic areas.Village appellation An appellation named after a specific commune or village, such as Meursault, Pommard, or Nuits-Saint-Georges.Premier Cru A classification for recognized high-quality vineyard sites within a village appellation.Grand Cru The highest vineyard classification in Burgundy. Grand Cru wines come from the most prestigious vineyard sites, where the vineyard name itself is the appellation.Crémant de Bourgogne Traditional-method sparkling wine from Burgundy, made from approved regional grape varieties such as Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Aligoté, and Gamay.Whole-cluster fermentation A red winemaking technique in which some or all grape clusters are fermented with stems included. It can influence aroma, tannin, structure, and spice character.Bâtonnage The stirring of lees during wine aging, often used in white winemaking to influence texture, mouthfeel, and aromatic complexity.Malolactic fermentation A microbial conversion of malic acid into lactic acid. In white Burgundy, it can contribute to a softer texture and buttery or creamy impressions, depending on style and conditions.Support the showFor more detailed wine science checkout my YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@Enology_channel
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    26 mins
  • Bordeaux Wines Beyond the Château: Grapes, Climate, and Blending

    Bordeaux Wines Beyond the Château: Grapes, Climate, and Blending
    May 18 2026
    Send me your thoughts at ibotezatu5@gmail.comBordeaux is one of the most influential wine regions in the world, but it can also feel intimidating. In this episode of The Wine Lab, Andreea explains Bordeaux through the features that define it: rivers, climate, soils, grape varieties, blending, classifications, aging, and wine style.The episode covers the differences between the Left Bank and Right Bank, the roles of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, and other Bordeaux varieties, and why blending became both a sensory and practical strategy in this maritime region. It also introduces Bordeaux’s dry white wines, the noble rot wines of Sauternes and Barsac, food pairing ideas, serving temperature, decanting, vintage variation, and the impact of climate change.The episode also discusses Bordeaux’s approval of new climate-adaptation varieties, including Arinarnoa, Castets, Marselan, Touriga Nacional, Alvarinho, and Liliorila, and what this reveals about tradition, resilience, and the future of classic wine regions.GlossaryBordeaux: A major wine region in southwest France, known especially for red blends based on Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc, as well as dry white and sweet wines.Left Bank: The area west and south of the Gironde Estuary and Garonne River, often associated with Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant red blends and gravelly soils.Right Bank: The area north and east of the Dordogne River, often associated with Merlot-dominant red blends and clay-limestone soils.Entre-Deux-Mers: A Bordeaux area between the Garonne and Dordogne rivers. The name means “between two seas.”Maritime climate: A climate influenced by proximity to the ocean, usually with moderated temperatures and relatively high humidity.Bordeaux blend: A wine blend based on traditional Bordeaux grape varieties, commonly Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec, and sometimes Carménère for reds.Cabernet Sauvignon: A late-ripening red grape associated with blackcurrant, cassis, firm tannins, cedar, graphite, and aging potential.Merlot: A red grape associated with plum, black cherry, roundness, softer tannins, and a plush mouthfeel.Cabernet Franc: A red grape often used in Bordeaux blends for aromatic lift, freshness, red fruit, floral notes, and spice.Petit Verdot: A red grape used in smaller proportions in Bordeaux blends, often contributing color, tannin, and spice.Carménère: A historic Bordeaux red grape that is now more strongly associated with Chile.Sauvignon Blanc: A white grape that contributes citrus, grapefruit, herbal notes, and bright acidity to dry white Bordeaux.Sémillon: A white grape that contributes body, texture, beeswax, lemon curd, and aging potential; also central to Sauternes and Barsac.Muscadelle: An aromatic white grape used in smaller proportions in some Bordeaux white and sweet wines.1855 Classification: A historic Bordeaux classification created for the 1855 Paris Exposition, ranking red wines from the Médoc and Château Haut-Brion from Graves, as well as sweet wines from Sauternes and Barsac.First Growth / Premier Cru Classé: The highest tier in the 1855 classification for red Bordeaux wines.Cru Bourgeois: A quality designation mainly associated with Médoc estates outside the 1855 classified growths.Pessac-Léognan: A Bordeaux appellation known for both red wines and high-quality dry white wines.Sauternes and Barsac: Bordeaux appellations known for sweet wines made from grapes affected by noble rot.Botrytis cinerea / Noble rot: A fungus that, under the right conditions, dehydrates grapes and concentrates sugars, acids, and flavor compounds, producing complex sweet wines.Tannin: Phenolic compounds from skins, seeds, and oak that create bitterness, astringency, and drying sensations in wine.Polymerization: A process where smaller tannin molecules form larger structures over time, often changing how tannins are perceived in aged wine.Decanting: Pouring wine into another vessel to separate sediment and/or expose the wine to oxygen before serving.Vintage variation: Differences among wines caused by the weather and growing conditions of a specific year.Climate-adaptation varieties: Grape varieties approved or studied to help wine regions adapt to warmer temperatures, drought stress, and other climate-related challenges.Support the showFor more detailed wine science checkout my YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@Enology_channel
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    26 mins
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