Catena Institute of Wine

Catena Institute of Wine
Founded1995
TypeResearch and development
FocusViticulture, Malbec, terroir, massal selections, high-altitude winemaking science, ungrafted vines, sensory science
Location
Coordinates33°03′00″S 68°53′38″W / 33.050°S 68.894°W / -33.050; -68.894
Websitecatenainstitute.com

The Catena Institute of Wine (CIW) is a research organization based in Mendoza, Argentina, focused on viticulture and enology. Its research areas include the Malbec grape variety, high-altitude viticulture, terroir characterization, soil microbiome, and sustainability practices in the Mendoza wine region.[1][2][3]

The institute has conducted research in collaboration with Argentine national institutions and international universities, including the University of California, Davis[4] and the University of Burgundy.[5]

History

The Catena Institute of Wine was founded by Laura Catena in 1995, with a focus on scientific research applied to viticulture and winemaking in the Mendoza region.[6][7][3][8]

From its founding, the institute directed its research toward soil composition, climate, and micro-terroir, with particular emphasis on the Adrianna Vineyard, located in Gualtallary, Uco Valley, at an elevation of approximately 1,500 metres (4,900 ft) above sea level. The vineyard was planted by Nicolás Catena Zapata in the early 1990s.[8][1]

The institute operates a pilot and commercial winery at its headquarters, "La Pirámide", in the Agrelo area of Luján de Cuyo, where microvinifications are carried out under standardized conditions.[9]

Research

Collaborations

The Institute has undertaken research projects in collaboration with national and international institutions, including National Scientific and Technical Research Council,[10] the National University of Cuyo[11] the Instituto de Biología Agrícola de Mendoza (IBAM),[12] and the National Agricultural Technology Institute (INTA).[8] International collaborations have included the University of California, Davis;[4] the MICROWINE Network, a European Union-funded Marie Curie doctoral research consortium;[13] the Jules Guyot Institute at the University of Burgundy;[5] and the International Viticulture and Enology Society (IVES).[14]

Terroir and phenolic characterization

A central line of research has focused on the chemical and sensory differentiation of Malbec wines by geographic origin within Mendoza.[6] Studies published between 2018 and 2024 in Food Chemistry, Scientific Reports, and npj Science of Food demonstrated that individual parcelas and geographical indications could be distinguished by phenolic composition and sensory profiles across multiple vintages, using chemometric and random forest analyses.[15][16][17] A 2021 study co-authored with CONICET and Linfield University (Oregon) was covered by Decanter magazine as providing chemical evidence for the persistence of terroir across vintages.[16][2]

An earlier cross-continental study published in 2014 in Food Chemistry compared the chemical and sensory profiles of Malbec wines from Mendoza and California, providing an early chemometric framework for Malbec terroir characterization.[18] A related phenolic study was published in 2015 in the American Journal of Enology and Viticulture.[19]

Soil and microbiome

A 2022 study published in OENO One examined the effect of contrasting soil depths on root morphology, vine water status, vegetative and reproductive growth, ripening dynamics, and berry skin phenolic composition over three seasons.[20] A 2024 study examined soil-associated fungal and prokaryotic diversity in a high-altitude plot of the Adrianna Vineyard, analyzing the influence of soil stoniness, depth, and vintage on microbial community structure.[21]

Wine aging

A 2023 study conducted in collaboration with UC Davis and the Institute of Chemistry of Rosario (IQUIR-CONICET-UNR) analyzed the evolution of volatile aromatic compounds in Malbec wines from Mendoza and California over seven years of bottle aging, finding that regional differences in aromatic profiles remained detectable after extended storage.[22]

Climate change

In 2016, Laura Catena was a co-author of a multi-contributor article on winemakers' field observations of climate change, published in the Journal of Wine Economics, alongside viticulturalists from Europe, South Africa, and North America.[23]

Recognition

In November 2024, the Catena Institute of Wine and the Universidad Nacional de Cuyo co-sponsored the 15th International Terroir Congress in Mendoza, which gathered 250 researchers from 15 countries.[24]

The Catena Institute of Wine holds the status of research and industry associate of the Institute of Masters of Wine (IMW), the London-based organization responsible for administering the Master of Wine qualification.[25]

In 2025, the CIW received the Best Sustainability Award at the Vinexposium V d'Or Awards.[26][27]

Internship programs

The CIW offers internship opportunities for wine students, including a summer scholarship in collaboration with UC Davis and scholarships for students enrolled in the Master of Wine program.[28][25]

References

  1. 1 2 Fabricant, Florence (18 January 2022). "A Biography About Argentina's Most Famous Red Grape". The New York Times. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
  2. 1 2 Mercer, Chris (2 September 2021). "Scientists reveal Malbec terroir secrets in Mendoza". Decanter. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
  3. 1 2 Stavins, Robert N.; Catena, Laura; Forrestel, Elisabeth; Rivail, Jean-Baptiste; Sahn, Mark; Sumner, Daniel A. (13 February 2025). "Global Climate Change and Wine Production: Industry and Academic Perspectives". Harvard Data Science Review. 7 (1). doi:10.1162/99608f92.a17caeae. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
  4. 1 2 "Laura Catena". UC Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
  5. 1 2 Nicolas, Sébastien; Bois, Benjamin; Harir, Mourad; Lucio, Marianna; Urvieta, Roy; Buscema, Fernando; Mathieu, Olivier; Santoni, Anne-Lise; Schmitt-Kopplin, Philippe; Gougeon, Régis D. (3–8 July 2022). "Metabolomic discrimination of grapevine water status for Chardonnay and Pinot noir" (PDF). XIVth International Terroir Congress & 2nd ClimWine Symposium. Bordeaux, France. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
  6. 1 2 Hidalgo, Joaquín (19 February 2021). "Vinos. El terroir sí importa: investigadores argentinos afirman su influencia". La Nación (in Spanish). Retrieved 31 May 2025.
  7. ↑ "Laura Catena – Creating Emerging Markets". Harvard Business School. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
  8. 1 2 3 Elías, J. J.; García Negro, A.; Ferro, G.; De Salvo, C. P. (2020). Knowledge and innovation analysis in the wine industry in Argentina (Report). IDB Monograph No. 829. Inter-American Development Bank. doi:10.18235/0002634.
  9. ↑ DeSimone, Mike; Jenssen, Jeff (4 September 2024). "This Argentine Winery Believes It's Worthy of Grand Cru Status—and It's Using Science to Prove It". Robb Report. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
  10. ↑ Silione, Soledad; Faigón, Miguel (28 October 2024). "Desarrollan estudio científico para caracterizar la identidad de los Malbec argentinos". CONICET (in Spanish). Retrieved 31 May 2025.
  11. ↑ "La UNCUYO será sede de un encuentro que tendrá como protagonista al "terroir"". Universidad Nacional de Cuyo (in Spanish). 27 June 2024. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
  12. ↑ "Convenios de Colaboración". IBAM-CONICET (in Spanish). Retrieved 31 May 2025.
  13. ↑ Harding, Julia (6 February 2017). "Microbial terroir – current research round-up". Jancis Robinson. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
  14. ↑ "Private Partners". IVES Open Science. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
  15. ↑ Urvieta, R.; Buscema, F.; Bottini, R.; Coste, B.; Fontana, A. (2018). "Phenolic and sensory profiles discriminate geographical indications for Malbec wines from different regions of Mendoza, Argentina". Food Chemistry. 265: 120–127. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2018.05.083. hdl:11336/88854.
  16. 1 2 Urvieta, R.; Jones, G.; Buscema, F.; Bottini, R.; Fontana, A. (2021). "Terroir and vintage discrimination of Malbec wines based on phenolic composition across multiple sites in Mendoza, Argentina". Scientific Reports. 11: 2863. doi:10.1038/s41598-021-82306-0. PMC 7859225.
  17. ↑ Urvieta, R.; Heymann, H.; Cantu, A.; Catania, A.; Buscema, F.; Bottini, R.; Fontana, A. (2024). "Tracing the origin of Argentine Malbec wines by sensometrics". npj Science of Food. 8: 14. doi:10.1038/s41538-024-00252-3. hdl:20.500.12123/16907.
  18. ↑ King, Ellena S.; Stoumen, Martha; Buscema, Fernando; Hjelmeland, Anna K.; Ebeler, Susan E.; Heymann, Hildegarde; Boulton, Roger B. (15 January 2014). "Regional sensory and chemical characteristics of Malbec wines from Mendoza and California". Food Chemistry. 143: 256–267. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2013.07.085. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
  19. ↑ Buscema, F.; Boulton, R.B. (2015). "Phenolic composition of Malbec: A comparative study of research-scale wines between Argentina and the United States". American Journal of Enology and Viticulture. 66 (1): 30–36. doi:10.5344/ajev.2014.14006.
  20. ↑ Mezzatesta, Daniela S.; Berli, Federico J.; Arancibia, Celeste; Buscema, Fernando G.; Piccoli, Patricia N. (30 May 2022). "Impact of contrasting soils in a high-altitude vineyard of Vitis vinifera L. cv. Malbec: root morphology and distribution, vegetative and reproductive expressions, and berry skin phenolics". OENO One. 56 (2): 201–217. doi:10.20870/oeno-one.2022.56.2.4917. hdl:11336/161713. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
  21. ↑ Mezzatesta, D.; Oyuela Aguilar, M.; Gobbi, A.; Pistorio, M.; Hansen, L.H.; Buscema, F.; Piccoli, P.; Berli, F. (2024). "Soil-associated fungal and prokaryotic diversity influenced by stoniness, depth and vintage in a high-altitude vineyard". OENO One. 58 (4). doi:10.20870/oeno-one.2024.58.4.8280. hdl:11336/263831.
  22. ↑ Pellegrino Vidal, Rocío B.; Boulton, Roger B.; Olivieri, Alejandro C.; Buscema, Fernando (2023). "Aging of Malbec Wines from Mendoza and California: Evolution of Volatile Composition". American Journal of Enology and Viticulture. 74 (1): 0740019. doi:10.5344/ajev.2023.22059. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
  23. ↑ Adelsheim, D.; et al. (2016). "Climate Change: Field Reports from Leading Winemakers" (PDF). Journal of Wine Economics. 11 (1): 20–24. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
  24. ↑ "Con fuerte presencia de especialistas del CONICET se realizó en Mendoza un congreso internacional sobre terroir, clave en el sector vitivinícola". CONICET (in Spanish). 29 November 2024. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
  25. 1 2 "Catena Institute of Wine becomes Research and Industry Associate". Institute of Masters of Wine. 1 March 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
  26. ↑ Kiely, Melita (11 February 2025). "V d'Or celebrates 2025 award winners". The Spirits Business. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
  27. ↑ "Vinexpo Paris: reconocen al Catena Institute of Wine en los Premios V d'Or como un hito en sostenibilidad". The Wine Time (in Spanish). 14 February 2025. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
  28. ↑ "Harvest Internships for Students". UC Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
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