Q&A with Torey Arvik, Ph.D., wine industry advisor and tech advocate

Above: Torey Arvik with the team at Unified Symposium

We speak with Torey Arvik, our Vice President of Applied Research on getting hooked into the wine industry and his advice to wineries on adopting new technologies.

For more than two decades, Torey has been spearheading the invention, development, and implementation of groundbreaking processes and technologies tailored specifically for the wine industry. Notably, one of his innovations has become a widely adopted industry standard. Today, his focus is dedicated to empowering wineries to embrace new technologies with confidence.

How did you get into the wine industry?

I took a vineyard management course in my last year of college, and since then I’ve been hooked.

What was one of your career highlights?

I had the opportunity to lead the development of rapid spoilage detection tools for wine that have become an industry standard twenty years later.

One major lesson I learned from working with amazing laboratory personnel, is that we all add special value and experience to tap into when problems emerge. Getting to know your co-worker's strengths is a force multiplier for progress.

What makes you so passionate about science and winemaking?

Winemaking is infinitely complex. I am always learning about chemistry, microbiology, and materials and process engineering. Wine exemplifies the junction between art and science, and it is fun. Wines, like regional foods, are great instruments to tie our deeper perceptions to the environment, people and special events.

Why amaea?

I am very excited to see how amaea’s technology succeeds in so many ways. For example, many of the treatments have direct impacts for improving wine quality, recovering value from lower tier fractions, and demonstrated impacts toward sustainability. I’m emotionally invested in the project, and I know that the technology has loads of potential.

What will you be doing in your role as VP of Applied Research?

Applied Research refers to making wine treatments customized for each wineries’ needs. The application and outcomes need to be practical. There are many attributes that winemakers wish they could have more control over.

By applying amaea’s MIP technology to address specific factors such as, removal of IBMP from under ripe red wine varieties to improve overall flavor balance, or for removal of wildfire smoke compounds to recover product value, winemakers can get a bit more control over their issues. My role at amaea will be focused on helping wineries find applications that meet their quality needs.

What advice would you give to winemakers who are looking to leverage new technologies?

There are two kinds of winemakers in my experience; those who are open to trying new things and those that are wary of any changes. The uncertainty can be uncomfortable. However, from my experience working with both types of winemakers, the benefits usually far outweigh any early hesitation.

For the wary winemaker, I encourage you to connect with your network and understand their experience of trying something new and how it compares with existing alternatives. A large part of my role is to help support and provide you with the confidence that new technologies, like amaea’s that are designed to be specific, can better support production in more sustainable and operationally efficient ways.

Alongside your partnership with amaea, what else can we expect from Torey Arvik?

Recently, I was invited to be a New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) Beachhead Advisor which is a network of private sector experts who offer perspective and insights to help customers shape the direction of their business in exports and local knowledge. This is a real honor, and I’m looking forward to building my NZ network to be even stronger. I enjoy engaging with others as part of a greater team. I am so curious about NZ, so be prepared for extra interest about your hobbies and favorite holiday destinations.

I am also currently chairing the Gold Standard Group, a gathering of technical leaders in the California wine industry. I like bringing people and ideas together. We network over tea or coffee and have a technical presentation from equipment or service providers, so that the members have the same information to take back to their respective teams.

I want to help keep creativity flowing. I like to learn all the time - especially about people and what motivates them.

For those interested in keeping the conversation going, please reach out and connect with me on LinkedIn.