The Sonor Wines Story

Sonor Wines offers a wine unlike any other. We bring something new to the table: music-infused wine.  Our wines are not only sophisticated, but bring lovers of both wine and music together, providing a new and exclusive tasting experience. We have introduced a brand-new step into the wine-making process, one which uses music to resonate through the wine, optimizing the development of all the ingredients and resulting in a mature wine.

 

Where it all started:

 

            The idea of combining wine with music is as old as wine drinking itself. Listening to beautiful music while enjoying a glass of red or white wine creates a special connection, with each part enhancing the other. Like many vintners, Austrian musician and gastronome Markus Bachmann wondered if it was possible to directly influence the development of wine through the medium of music. While others have tried to play music in their cellars to create a type of “Wine Disco,” yeast has neither ears, brain, or nerves to help it process music delivered by air, and the sound waves cannot penetrate the layer of steel or wood that forms the cask. Understanding this barrier, Bachmann invented a new technique to introduce musical vibrations to the wine from the interior of the cask, and he then founded Sonor Wines in 2012.

 

            Bachmann is uniquely suited for this innovative approach. Born into an artistic family and raised in the music capital of the world, Vienna, by the age of 16 he was already ahead of his peers and was accepted into the acclaimed International University of Music in Vienna. While there, Bachmann perfected his craft, studying every aspect of the French horn. One year later, at the age of 17, he became the youngest orchestral musician ever to play in all the major orchestras in Vienna. At the same time, he built his solo career, performing all the major concertos ranging from the Baroque through the Romantic periods on his “Viennese French horn” with the Vienna Philharmonic Opera. As a musician, Bachmann was able to experience many different cultures, but he realized that no matter where you travel, wine and music will always be a perfect combination.

 

            Bachmann also brought a high level of technical expertise to the table. His training as a musician increased his understanding of sound waves; while past attempts worked from outside the casks, Bachmann theorized that the integration process needed to be internal. He then developed a special sound system optimized for use in thicker liquids, one which plays the music directly into the wine must. This direct contact is necessary to utilize the yeast’s full potential, and the bottled result produces a highly broad mouth feel while still allowing the fresh notes of a young wine to come through.

 

            Bachmann joined forces in 2012 with distinguished vintners to combine established vines with his innovative technique, and Sonor Wines grew in Austria over the next five years. In 2017, his son Maximilian Bachmann expanded the business, bringing this exciting development in wine to the American market for the first time. Sonor Wines will bring lasting changes to the wine industry and allow customers to experience music and wine in a whole new way.

 

The Innovative Method

            Sonor Wines is an invention like no other. Not only is it innovative, but it also creates a sustainable long-term change in the production of wine making. The industry has tried to incorporate wine with music many times, but only Sonor Wines and Markus Bachmann have succeeded in the field of wine sonification. The use of particular vibrations (sonification) from the music produces a higher quality of wine and also gives the customer the ability to connect with a musician on an entirely different level. Sonor Wines is an opportunity for cross-marketing at its finest; bringing wine and music together will open doors never seen before by musicians and record labels alike, promoting both the wine and the musicians all in one bottle. The combination bridges the gap between consumer and artist, creating new connections and unique wine experiences. Sonor Wines and its inventor Markus Bachmann have succeeded in the field of wine sonification and have demonstrated that it will bring lasting changes to wine, proved not only organoleptically by sommeliers, but also by clear and quantifiable changes in the wine.

 

The Sonor Wines Method

            We use a special new kind of wine fermentation, incorporating music into the very creation of the wine. When the wines are in their must stage (wine juice), we sonicate them by means of special vibration transducers (underwater loudspeakers) created and perfected by our founder, Markus Bachmann. During the fermentation process, we alter the biology of the wine by using a broad spectrum of musical frequencies within the audible range. The sounds of the music are unaltered and undistorted so that the carefully curated musical vibrations have the greatest possible impact on the wine. As a result, the fermentation process and the flavor are simultaneously influenced in a unified way. The sound system eliminates the need for storage in oak barrels because the music stimulates positive microorganisms and revives the yeast, improving the fermentation process and taking it to the next level. Apart from the technical aspects of our invention, we provide individual consumers with the ability to connect with artists, whether old favorites or a favorite they have yet to discover. Sonor Wines brings age-old winemaking together with pioneering technology and individual expression; as we premiere new bottles featuring different artists, we will give consumers an opportunity to connect with music from past, present, or future—the possibilities are endless. As we are the only company with this new method, we can offer unique opportunities to the wine industry and consumers, using specific sound waves to match each wine with a musical masterpiece.

 

The Result

 

            Our sonification process allows the yeast to break free of typical barriers it can face during the fermentation process and reach its maximum potential, which creates new possibilities for the yeast as it begins to use the music’s energy to convert the existing must ingredients into a perfectly sonicated wine. The yeast then uses this energy rather than its own energy to maneuver itself throughout the fermentation tanks. The vibrations pulsate the yeast, extending its life span, and the energy released is used to convert the existing main ingredients along with the yeast into an impeccably finished product during the fermentation processes. This year's harvest has already proven that the Sonor Wines method eliminates any need for added sugar, as the wine naturally creates its own sugars to produce high-quality, full-flavored ripened dry wines.