Full Name
Elizabeth Tomasino
Job Title
Associate Professor, Food Science & technology
Company
Oregon State University
Speaker Bio
Dr. Elizabeth Tomasino is an Associate Professor of enology at Oregon State University and a core member of the Oregon Wine Research Institute including management of the winemaker sensory panel. Elizabeth’s Ph.D. in Oenology was earned from Lincoln University in New Zealand and incorporated components of microbiology, winemaking, sensory science, chemistry and food science. Her knowledge of wine was expanded through multiple industry experiences with E & J Gallo, Yalumba Winery, Robert Mondavi Winery, Giesen Wine Estates, and Pernod Ricard NZ. These experiences have helped fuel her interest in applied wine research. Elizabeth’s current research program is at the interface of wine chemistry and sensory and she integrates her research findings into her undergraduate and graduate teaching program. Of particular interest, she links chemical compounds to sensory perception, exploring the many interactions that occur. Projects include the impact of chiral terpenes in aromatic white wines to aroma perception and determining the causes of fruity aromas in wine using fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). She is also uses advanced chemical analysis to differentiate and characterize Pinot noir wines from the sub-AVAs of the Willamette Valley. New projects are investigating the impact of norisoprenoids to Pinot noir, determining how lipids define mouthfeel in Pinot Noir, and developing predictive models for tropical fruit aromas in white wine and unraveling the many issue surrounding grape smoke exposure and smoke taint in in wine. She is always looking for new ideas and collaborations and welcomes the chance to discuss and enjoy wine!
Elizabeth Tomasino