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GUE S T EDIT ORIAL Viewpoint We welcome commentaries from readers on issues of current interest in the wine industry. Send your topic idea to edit@winesandvines.com, and we'll contact you. What Ralph Kunkee Gave to Our Industry By Charles G. Edwards C ompared to the standards of some universities, Dr. Ralph Kunkee was a failure. Af- ter all, he did not bring in multi million-dollar research contracts, nor did he publish five or more original research articles per year during his long tenure as an enology professor at the University of California, Davis. But if Dr. Kunkee was a failure, then why have so many people attended tribute events that honor him? What did he really accomplish? Since Dr. Kunkee's death in November 2011, there have been numerous blogs and even a symposium describing his achieve- ments. In this article, however, I'm going to take a different approach and share what I think he has given us rather than list spe- cific professional accomplishments. When I was a young Ph.D. student, my supervisor Dr. Robert Beelman was a close friend of Dr. Kunkee. I remember having discussions with him regarding such top- ics as reduction and oxidation at ASEV meetings and other events. And folks, there was nothing in the world like de- bating NAD+ /NADH balance with Ralph partially in response to the negative pub- licity associated with use of sulfites in salad bars (recall that salad bars were a new item back then, and some res- taurants over-used sulfites to keep veg- etables appearing fresh, sometimes with deadly consequences.) 114 WINES & VINES NOVEMBER 2012 Kunkee after several bottles of wine! But perhaps the most wonderful (and intense) interaction I had with him was regarding a technical issue that arose in the late 1980s or early 1990s. Briefly, wineries began to limit their use of SO2 sometimes coincided with the growth of bacteria and stuck alcoholic fermenta- tions. I remember Dr. Kunkee and I debat- ing the issue, with him not believing that there was a relationship between the onset of stuck fermentations and unidentified lacto bacilli. As I was applying for tenure at that time (and would either have a job or not at the end of the year), I elected to embark on this research, which may or may not have yielded publishable material. In wineries, the decrease in SO2 I am a believer in honoring those who came before. It is only through their wisdom and guidance that we excel. Well, not only did we determine that there was a cause and effect between stuck fermentation and growth of certain species of Lactobacillus, one of the isolates was a novel species. So, what should we name it? Lactobacillus stuckferm? , I am a firm believer in honoring those who came before, because it is only through their wisdom and guidance that we excel. And, as the circle of life will continue long after we are gone, it is important to remember teachers like use Dr. Kunkee and their incredible inputs. I knew what I had to do. With joy in my heart, I telephoned Dr. Kunkee to ask permission to name the microbe Lactobacillus kunkeei. I thought that he, too, would feel the ex- citement of finding a new species and then having it named after him. But after I asked Kunkee if he would accept this honor, there was a very long, uncom- fortable pause. Then, in a quiet voice, he said, "You…want…to…name…a… spoilage bug after me?" Yes, I did, and the rest is history. Dr. Kunkee focused on good science and improving our understanding of winemak- ing. To this end, he will always be thought of as a success by the many people he touched. Remember how he was always first in line to ask a question during oral presentations at technical meetings? He loved to contemplate, consider, contest, debate, deliberate, dispute, discuss, exam- ine and question—but above all, always educate and certainly have fun. Like Louis Pasteur before him, Dr. Kunkee brought an understanding of wine microbiology that can never be forgotten. Can we imag- ine the conversations that Louis and Ralph are having now? I recently read a blog written by my friend Sandra Oldfield of Tinhorn Creek Cellars. During a visit to her winery in British Columbia some years ago, she handed Dr. Kunkee a pen to autograph the wall of Tinhorn's new barrel cellar. He wrote three phrases of wisdom: "Vigilance and discipline!" "Great wines begin in the classroom!" "Align that microscope!" I believe that those words captured the es- sence of Dr. Kunkee, and I thank Oldfield for her posting. Tonight, when you take the first sip of a nice wine, think of Dr. Kunkee and what the quality of that wine might have been had he not been the person he was. His memory lives on in all of us and in the wines we now and forever will enjoy. Dr. Charles G. Edwards is a professor of enology at Washington State University and the Uni- versity of Idaho. His research focuses on malolactic and problem alcoholic fermentations as well as spoilage issues. He is the author of "Illustrated Guide to Microbes and Sediments in Wine, Beer and Juice" and co-author of "Wine Microbiology" (2nd edition.)