Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/732978
32 WINES&VINES October 2016 VIEWPOINT PRACTICAL WINERY & VINEYARD to assume they must have a similar cause. This may or may not be correct. This problem goes back to Francis Bacon, who reminded us, "Ge- nius is like fleet of foot, method is the right path. Fleetness of foot on the wrong path never leads to knowledge." However, the problem I see is not the dichot- omy between rationalism and empiricism. Some in our industry rely not on their own empirical data but on observations of others. Instant com- munication allows us to know what is happening everywhere in the wine world. Certain industry personnel read or hear of a technique or process and simply attempt to emulate that practice or procedure whole cloth, assuming it conveys. Likely, we should suggest the Socratic method that tests every assumption for its grounding and implications. We should make distinctions highlighting the importance of rela- tivism by asking the following questions: What information is true universally correct under all circumstances? What information is specific to time, place and local conditions? These are important peculiarities to be highlighted. Science appeals to our rational brain, but many of our beliefs are based on emotion. Many of our most significant claims are actu- ally beliefs rather than knowledge. According to social scientists, the biggest influence is our association with our peers, providing what is termed tribal or conformational bias. This sug- gests inducing industry leaders to be "on board" may be the most important feature in adapting change. As Blaise Pascal wrote: "The heart has reasons that reason does not know." As a university member I have been forced to field comments such as, "You academics strongly discouraged industry from employing uninocu- lated fermentation, sulfite-free wines" or what- ever the hot topic of the day is that may not be well supported by science. Yet, they say, "Some of the better products in our region are so made." The implication is that we in the university community are not very progressive, or at the very least are somewhat "out of phase." I think it serves us well to continue to remind industry clients of several things. First, we in the aca- demic community recognize wine is an art form. We further appreciate that science does not have all the answers. Indeed, Werner Heisenberg taught us that science can never provide all the answers. However, industry needs to be reminded that the university com- munity is charged with the responsibility of providing science-based recommendations. Additionally, it serves the industry well to recap what science is and what it is not. Science is not a body of facts but a method for deciding what to believe based on the laws of nature and a validation scheme. Results are always provi- sional, always susceptible to being overturned by future experimentation and observation. The enology programs at Virginia Tech have a number of components, each geared to the delivery of science-based information. Infor- mation relayed is based on the highest educa- tional level of the clients, not the lowest common denominator. Perhaps the capstone effort is the Enology Notes, an electronic techni- cal brief that at its zenith was sent to more than 3,500 subscribers worldwide and is avail- able at vtwines.info. The philosophical canons behind the enology extension program and specifically the Enology Notes are as follows: First, with regard to science and the wealth of available information that Science is not a body of facts but a method for deciding what to believe based on the laws of nature and a validation scheme. Results are always provisional. Gomberg, Fredrikson & Associates Market Intelligence for the Wine Industry · The Gomberg-Fredrikson Report: Put your business in context with wine industry market trends. · WineData Wine Pricing Report: Make competitive price positioning comparisons. · Distributor Market Service: Gain a competitive advantage by analyzing the wholesale market www.gfawine.com • 707.940.3922 • inquiry@gfawine.com We perform extensive market research and data collection to create the wine industry's leading databases and reports. Our reports reflect real-world factors and provide business leaders consistent information on which to base decisions.