Fruition Sciences' secret to finer wine? Data from the field

(GreenBiz) - We think of Napa Valley as being about wine and Silicon Valley about tech. But Fruition Sciences, a small startup in Oakland, is bringing technology to wine country to help vineyards hack the winemaking process.

Sébastien Payen and Thibaut Scholasch, two French expats who first met in the Bay Area, founded the company in 2008. Using sap sensors, wireless transmission technology and weather data, they help vintners determine how much water their grapevines are using and when they need watering next.

For now, the biggest upside is more control and consistency over grape development. But such precision also can help reduce water consumption, an advantage that could become increasingly attractive as climate change disrupts weather patterns. Here’s an excerpt from our recent conversation.

Worth: Describe your product and what it does.

Payen: The product is really a web application. We’re trying to give winemakers a tool that can help them make decisions to maximize grape quality and yield. When you’re talking about irrigation, it’s never a question of irrigating as much as possible or not irrigating at all. Winegrowers are constantly confronted with the question: to water or not to water? And right now there are very few technology options available to help answer that question. Ours is one of them.