Austrian winemaker trials fermentation by music

Winemaker Markus Bachmann, a former French horn player, has created a tiny speaker that can be inserted directly into liquid, exposing fermenting grape juice to a mixture of classical, jazz and electronic tunes.

He believes the soundwaves positively influence the maturing process, stimulating yeast cells to move around so they absorb more sugar, resulting in better-tasting wine with a lower sugar content.

“The wines get more fruity, and they mature earlier. All the flavours stand alone much better,” the 44-year-old said.

Bachmann has teamed up with six Austrian producers to make a 31,000-litre test batch of musically-influenced Sonor Wines, including a 2010 Pinot Blanc infused with Mozart’s 41st Symphony and a 2010 Zweigelt exposed to a selection of arias.

Working with Bachmann, winemaker Franz-Michael Mayer played waltzes and polkas performed by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra to his Semillon for three weeks and said: “I get the sense that it tastes different, good.”

“I’m so convinced that I’m ready to continue next year,” Mayer added.

Scientists however, remain sceptical. Werner Gruber, a University of Vienna physicist, dismissed Bachmann’s method as “rubbish”.

“Yeast and fungi don’t have opinions. They really don’t care if AC/DC, Madonna or Mozart is played to them,” Gruber said.

Undeterred, Bachmann insists his idea is the next big thing in winemaking, but refuses to have the small, sound-infusing gadget photographed or filmed.