2025 Oregon Wine Symposium | Journey of Extraction Part II: The Art and Science of Cold Soak

Cold soaking before fermentation has implications on both the microbiology and chemistry of the resulting must and wine. Rich DeScenzo of ETS Laboratories will review what we know about the microbiology of this stage of winemaking. After that, we will dive into two experiments performed by Rachel Rose at Bryn Mawr and their effects on the resulting wine. She’ll present findings on using biocontrol agents during cold soaking and different durations of pre-fermentation maceration.

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Richard DeScenzo, Microbiology Group Leader and Co-General Manager, ETS Laboratories
Dr. Richard DeScenzo is the Microbiology Group Leader and Co-General Manager for ETS Laboratories. ETS provides a range of chemistry and microbiology analyses to help clients in the winemaking process. In addition to providing microbiology support for the wine industry, Rich focuses on helping clients with a wide range of other winemaking problems.

Rich received his Masters in Plant Pathology and Ph. D in Plant Biology at the University of New Hampshire, and conducted his postdoctoral studies on disease resistance genes in barley with the USDA/ARS at Iowa State University. He spent 10 years conducting research on grape genomics, development of molecular diagnostics, and fermentation monitoring in the wine industry prior to joining the ETS team.

Rachel Rose, Winemaker & Vineyard Director, Bryn Mawr Vineyards
Rachel Rose graduated with her B.S. in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology from the University of California, Santa Cruz. Fresh out of college and working in the Biotech field, she never imagined herself elbow-deep in rolling ferments within just a few years; however, wine finds a way. Feeling restless in the lab setting, she debated what and where to study before ultimately taking off for Australia to delve into Viticulture for a year. One year became three, by the end of which she had her M.S. in Oenology and a Postgraduate Diploma in Viticulture from the University of Adelaide in South Australia.

Rachel is an adaptive and experimental winemaker who bridges the gap between natural and traditional winemaking. Her primary winemaking philosophy focuses on minimal use of SO2, judicious use of new French oak, and continual experimentation. She knows how to bridge the artistic creativity that’s the lifeblood of the wine industry with a modern understanding of biochemistry necessary for understanding the building blocks of her wines; this allows her to envision what she wants her wines to be while allowing her the tools to achieve those goals. Her appreciation for many different winemaking philosophies combined with her refusal to be dogmatic makes her one of the most exciting winemakers on the West Coast, reminding us that wine can be fun, serious, educated, and pretty wild!

Bill Snyder (moderator), Winemaker, Decision Hill Wines / Snyder Wine Services
Bill Snyder is a Portland-based winemaker, lab/QA consultant, and wine educator. His wine industry journey has taken him from the Central Coast of California to Australia to the Pacific Northwest. Until relocating to Oregon in the Spring of 2022, Bill was the Winemaking Instructor for the Associates Degree program at Northwest Wine Academy at South Seattle College in West Seattle. Bill has recently provided services to Rising Wines Collective, InnoVint, Twill Cellars, Cana Winemaking & Tasting, and Proteus Wines. Bill has also recently launched his own label, Decision Hill Wines, focusing on white and rosé wines from the Willamette Valley and Columbia Gorge.