Learn & Explore

A family trip to New York changed my views on winemaking technology. As a third-generation winemaker in Bordeaux, I've always believed that great wine comes from tradition, terroir, and time—lots of time. Our family has been making wine the same way for over a century, and like many of my colleagues in Bordeaux, I was naturally skeptical of anything that promised to "enhance" wine through modern technology.

But sometimes, life has a way of challenging your preconceptions.

During my family holiday in Manhattan, I was introduced to ADVINTAGE® by a wine bar owner who insisted I try it. My first instinct was polite resistance—after all, what could a few drops in a bottle possibly do that decades of winemaking expertise couldn't achieve? But curiosity got the better of me, and I agreed to a demonstration.

What I experienced that evening in New York opened my eyes to what's possible in winemaking.

The demonstration was simple yet profound. We started with a young wine —not unlike many of the wines we produce in our early stages before they undergo the lengthy aging process that Bordeaux is famous for. The wine was good, but it had that harsh edge that young wines often possess, the kind of astringency that makes you pucker slightly and reminds you why patience is considered a virtue in our industry.

Then came the ADVINTAGE®. Just one drop into the glass.

Within moments, the transformation was undeniable. The wine that had been sharp and somewhat closed immediately opened up. The harsh edges softened, the tannins became more integrated, and the overall mouthfeel became rounder and more approachable. It was as if the wine had aged years in a matter of seconds.

I found myself thinking about the aerator revolution that had swept through the wine industry years earlier. Initially, many of us traditionalists were skeptical—how could a simple device that exposed wine to air improve what centuries of winemaking knowledge had perfected? Yet consumers embraced aerators enthusiastically, and even we winemakers eventually had to admit they served a valuable purpose in helping wines express their full potential.

Standing there in that New York tasting moment, I realized I might be witnessing the next evolution in wine enhancement technology.

The experience in New York stayed with me throughout my flight back to France. As our plane descended over the vineyards of Bordeaux, I found myself wondering: if this technology could work so dramatically on wines in New York, what could it do for our wines here in one of the world's most prestigious wine regions?

I've always prided myself on having an open mind when it comes to improving our craft. While we respect tradition deeply, we've never been afraid to embrace innovations that can help us produce better wine. After all, many of the techniques we consider "traditional" today were once innovations themselves.

But I also knew that any new technology would need to prove itself not just to me, but to the discerning palates of my peers in Bordeaux. This is a region where wine expertise runs deep, where people have been tasting and evaluating wine for generations. If ADVINTAGE® was going to gain acceptance here, it would need to pass the most rigorous test possible.

That's when I decided to conduct my own blind test.

For this test to be meaningful, I needed to assemble a panel of true wine experts—people whose palates I trusted implicitly and whose opinions carried weight in our community. I carefully selected five individuals who represented different aspects of the wine industry:

Two fellow winemakers from neighboring châteaux, both with decades of experience and reputations for producing exceptional wines. These were people who understood wine from the ground up, who could detect the subtlest nuances in flavor, aroma, and texture.

A respected wine merchant who had been buying and selling Bordeaux wines for over a decade. His palate was trained not just in production but in understanding what consumers value and what makes a wine commercially successful.

A wine industry professional with more than ten years of experience in various aspects of the business, from production to marketing to distribution. This person brought a comprehensive understanding of wine from multiple perspectives.

And finally, a passionate wine lover—someone who represented the ultimate consumer, with a highly developed palate but without the potential bias that might come from professional involvement in winemaking.

Together, these five individuals represented the full spectrum of wine expertise and appreciation.

For our test, I selected a very young white wine—the kind of wine that typically requires significant time to develop its full character and complexity. In Bordeaux, we're accustomed to wines that need patience, wines that reveal their true nature only after months or years of careful aging.

The setup was simple but rigorous. Each taster would evaluate the wine in its natural state, then taste the same wine enhanced with ADVINTAGE®, without knowing which was which. I wanted their honest, unbiased reactions to what they were experiencing.

The results were remarkably consistent with what I had experienced in New York, and frankly, they exceeded my expectations. Four of the five experts felt the difference immediately. The moment the enhanced wine touched their palates, they recognized something special was happening. The words they used were strikingly similar to my own experience in New York: the wine was "opened up," it was "rounder," and it was "easier to drink straight away."

These are not casual observations from casual wine drinkers. These are the assessments of people who taste wine professionally, who understand the subtle interplay of tannins, acidity, and flavor compounds that create a wine's character. When they say a wine is "rounder," they're describing a fundamental improvement in the wine's structure and balance.

The fifth expert initially didn't notice a significant difference, which actually added credibility to our test. It showed that our panel was being honest and critical, not simply telling me what they thought I wanted to hear. However, approximately ten minutes after the ADVINTAGE® was added to the wine, this expert began to notice the same improvements the others had identified immediately.

This delayed recognition was actually quite fascinating from a scientific perspective. It suggested that ADVINTAGE® continues to work and integrate with the wine even after the initial application, creating ongoing improvements in the wine's character and drinkability.

By the end of our tasting session, all five experts had reached the same conclusion: ADVINTAGE® had demonstrably improved the wine. But more than that, they were intrigued by the implications of what they had experienced.

As one of my fellow winemakers put it, "This is very, very interesting and has lots of potential for the future."

That statement encapsulates exactly how I feel about this technology. It's not about replacing traditional winemaking methods or abandoning the principles that have made Bordeaux wines legendary. It's about having another tool in our arsenal, another way to help our wines reach their full potential.

The more I think about our Bordeaux test results, the more I'm reminded of other innovations that initially faced skepticism in our industry. When temperature-controlled fermentation was introduced, many traditionalists worried it would somehow diminish the "natural" character of wine. When stainless steel tanks began replacing some wooden fermentation vessels, there were concerns about losing the soul of winemaking.

Yet each of these innovations, when properly applied, has helped us make better wine while preserving the essential character that makes each region and each winemaker unique.

The aerator comparison I made earlier continues to resonate with me. When aerators first appeared in the market, many of us in the wine industry were skeptical. How could a simple device improve wine that had been carefully crafted over months or years? But consumers quickly embraced aerators because they worked—they helped wines express their full potential more quickly and completely.

ADVINTAGE® represents a similar evolution. It's not about shortcuts or artificial enhancement. It's about helping wine achieve what it's naturally capable of, just more efficiently and consistently.

What impressed me most about ADVINTAGE® was that it didn't mask or artificially alter the wine's character. Instead, it seemed to unlock qualities that were already present but not yet fully expressed. The young white wine we tested retained all of its varietal characteristics and terroir expression—it simply became a more refined, more approachable version of itself.

This is crucial for those of us in Bordeaux, where terroir and authenticity are paramount. Any technology that compromised the unique character of our wines would be unacceptable, regardless of other benefits it might provide. But ADVINTAGE® appears to work with the wine's natural components, enhancing rather than altering them.

The fact that the enhancement continues to develop over time, as we observed with our fifth taster, suggests that ADVINTAGE® initiates natural processes rather than imposing artificial changes. This aligns with our philosophy of working with nature rather than against it.

The implications of our test results extend far beyond simple quality improvement. For Bordeaux producers, ADVINTAGE® could offer solutions to several practical challenges we face in our industry.

Young wines that might normally require extensive aging before they're ready for market could potentially be brought to optimal drinking condition more quickly. This doesn't mean abandoning our commitment to aged wines—some of our greatest treasures will always require time to reach their full potential. But it does mean we could offer consumers more immediate access to enjoyable wine experiences while our premium aged wines continue their development.

The technology could also help us address vintage variations. In years when weather conditions produce wines that are initially harsh or unbalanced, ADVINTAGE® could help us achieve the consistency that consumers expect from our brands.

From a business perspective, the ability to bring wines to market readiness more quickly could improve cash flow and reduce the carrying costs associated with extensive aging inventories. This is particularly valuable for smaller producers who may not have the financial resources to age large quantities of wine for extended periods.

Perhaps most importantly, ADVINTAGE® could help us make Bordeaux wines more accessible to a broader range of consumers. Many wine lovers are intimidated by young Bordeaux wines, knowing they need time to develop but not wanting to wait years to enjoy their purchase.

With ADVINTAGE®, we could offer wines that provide immediate drinking pleasure while still maintaining the complexity and character that Bordeaux is known for. This could help introduce new consumers to our wines and expand appreciation for what we do here in Bordeaux.

As I reflect on my journey from skeptic to believer, I'm excited about the possibilities that ADVINTAGE® represents for our industry. The blind test we conducted in Bordeaux confirmed what I experienced in New York: this technology works, and it works consistently.

But more than that, it represents the kind of thoughtful innovation that can enhance our craft without compromising our values. It's a tool that works with wine's natural characteristics rather than against them, that enhances rather than masks, that improves rather than replaces.

We're at the beginning of a new chapter in winemaking, one where tradition and innovation work hand in hand to create better experiences for wine lovers around the world. ADVINTAGE® isn't about abandoning the methods that have made Bordeaux wines legendary—it's about giving those wines every opportunity to express their full potential.

This experience has taught me something important about keeping an open mind in our industry. While we must always respect and preserve the traditions that have brought us success, we must also be willing to embrace innovations that can help us serve our customers better and make our wines more accessible and enjoyable.

The unanimous positive response from our expert panel in Bordeaux tells me that ADVINTAGE® has a place in the future of winemaking. It's not a replacement for skill, tradition, or time—it's an enhancement that can help all of these elements work more effectively together.

As I continue to explore the possibilities that ADVINTAGE® offers, I'm reminded that the best innovations in our industry have always been those that help wine reach its full potential. Whether it's better vineyard management, improved fermentation techniques, or now, targeted enhancement technology, the goal remains the same: to create wines that bring joy and satisfaction to those who drink them.

From my perspective as a Bordeaux winemaker, ADVINTAGE® represents exactly that kind of innovation—one that honors our past while embracing our future, one that enhances our craft while preserving our authenticity, and one that helps us share the magic of great wine with an even broader audience.

The future of winemaking is bright, and I'm excited to be part of it.