A new science of wine is emerging from two complementary sources: the practical knowledge of growers and winemakers, developed through constant experimentation, and scientific research that uses technology to follow grapes and wine at a molecular level.
The two approaches help explain why wines taste as they do. History and reputation matter, too, but neither can fully explain what makes a wine distinctive or how its quality can be improved today. Bordeaux’s 1855 and Saint-Émilion classifications, for example, continue to shape how people judge and buy wine. Yet a prestigious past is not the same as present-day quality.
A summer morning at Figeac
At Château Figeac, a conversation with Blandine de Brier Manoncourt and Frédéric Faye revealed how close attention to the estate’s vineyards informs its winemaking. The team studies the character of each site and continually considers how its wines might be improved.
One small parcel had been left fallow. After years of cultivation, its soil needed time to recover. Rather than hurry to replant, the estate used the pause to learn more about the land and decide what would suit it best, taking into account its soil, microclimate, and practical conditions.
That decision reflects a broader philosophy: vineyards are not uniform spaces to be managed according to a single set of rules. Differences matter. Established practices should be questioned, and methods changed when there is a clear reason.
This culture of inquiry has long been part of Figeac’s approach. Thierry Manoncourt, Blandine’s father, encouraged the estate to ask why things were done a certain way and whether they could be done better. Today, careful observation and modern tools inform decisions, while methods are retained when experiments show no improvement.
The use of horses in the vineyard is one example. They now work at least a third of the estate’s vines in a typical year. Horses compact the soil less, can manoeuvre at the ends of rows where tractors cannot, and offer environmental benefits. The choice is not about favouring tradition or modernity; it is about finding what works best for the site.
The same attention to detail carries into the winery. Grapes are sorted by density and optically, while individual plots are vinified separately. Maceration and time in tank are adjusted to suit each parcel. The goal is to understand the differences between plots and give each the best chance to express itself.
Tradition and curiosity
Science can help explain how factors such as temperature, light, and water availability affect grape development and the flavours that emerge. Temperature, pruning style, and water also influence the timing of ripening, shaping the decisions growers make at harvest.
But wine’s flavour cannot be reduced to one compound or a simple formula. It develops through interactions among the grape, its environment, vineyard decisions, and the transformations of winemaking. Studying individual elements helps reveal the larger picture, even when the whole remains complex.
Tradition is important, but it should not end the process of asking questions. Nor should science be mistaken for gadgets or technical jargon. Its value lies in helping producers make better choices for their wines.
Explaining this work can also make wider scientific ideas more accessible. Wine offers a tangible way to explore subjects such as plant biology, chemistry, and climate. Science communication need not replace poetry with data or claim that scientific explanations make a wine more valuable. It can simply deepen our understanding of what we drink and of the experience and expertise behind it.
At Figeac, the winery, its technology, and the knowledge gathered over time all serve a living system: vines responding to soil, weather, and care. Each vintage is a new meeting of place, season, and people. Science helps us understand that meeting; history helps us see why it matters.