Friday, 25 August 11:00am – 12:00pm

This seminar will be delivered in Chemistry Lecture Theatre 2 and Online (Zoom) Please email chemistry.researchsupport@sydney.edu.au for zoom link and password.

Speaker: Dr Samantha Sawyer, Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture, Centre for Food Innovation, University of Tasmania

Host: Dr Yu Heng Lau

Title: The Science of a Good Wine

Abstract: Ever wondered what makes a good wine? Is it the fruity notes? The bold characters? The label?

In this talk, we explore the science of the traditional art of winemaking…. at scale… with a particular focus on sparkling wine. We will consider the contribution of the different stages of winemaking to the final composition of the wine linking the chemistry and sensory characteristics that make different wines distinctive. Finally we will consider the impacts that climate change will have in the future, including what we can learn from recent bushfire events.

Bio: Sam is a lecturer and researcher in food science at UTAS specialising in digitalisation of food quality. She has a broad background in chemistry, microbiology, and sensory science, with a strong focus on industry-facing research. Sam completed Honours in Chemistry for her BSc (Advanced Science) at USyd as well as her PhD in Microbiology and Grad. Cert. (Innovation and Enterprise). She has worked in industry and academia on industrial biotechnology, plant extractives, fermentation, and synthetic biology. She is a keen advocate for diversity in STEM (and is a 2023-2024 Superstar of STEM), for value capture to enhance regional development (particularly among food start-ups and SMEs), and for helping build resilience to the effects of climate change.