In February 2021, Michael David Winery sent four 70ml frozen grape juice samples to the International Space Station to investigate the microbial ecology and dynamics of grape juice fermentation in the absence of gravity. The goal of this experiment was to compare microbial populations from two identical spontaneous fermentations with the control variable being microgravity.
When it came time to prepare for this mission, a small amount of juice was collected from Michael Phillips’ Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard in Lodi, California, then divided into two portions and frozen. The first portion was sent to the International Space Station on the Northrop Grumman CRS-15 mission payload.
The other identical sample remained on Earth in an environmental control chamber that mimicked the ISS ambient temperature. When the experiment began, the portions were thawed at the same time, allowing native microbes to ferment. The experiment concluded after three days due to CO2 build up inside the sample, a sign of successful fermentation.
Once the samples arrived back on Earth, they were sent for DNA fingerprinting and DNA sequence matching to determine the number and identification of the different propagations. It was found that the juice fermented in Zero Gravity propagated different species than the samples that remained on Earth.
Our team isolated the most successful microgravity-grown yeast strain, a species of Saccharomyces cerevisiae identified as MT965 by Michael David Winery winemaking, to produce Zero Gravity Cabernet Sauvignon.
MT965 yields a fruit forward wine with a beautifully enhanced full body. Zero Gravity Cabernet Sauvignon offers an out of this world structure and dark berry flavor profile.
Following years of experimentation, development and a successful bottling milestone, Zero Gravity is released. Michael David wine club members received exclusive first access on March 12, 2025 marking the debut of this historic, space-inspired wine. Now available to the public, Zero Gravity represents the culmination of our mission to explore the final frontier of fermentation.
All our hard and dedicated work has brought us here to a new frontier in celestial winemaking - the first wine ever fermented by space-born yeast is officially bottled. We are proud to officially introduce you to Zero Gravity wines.
Our team isolates the most successful microgravity-grown yeast strain, a species of Saccharomyces cerevisiae identified as MT965 by Michael David Winery winemaking, storing the individual species safely in a bio bank.
The space-flown juice returns to Earth aboard the SpaceX-22 mission, splashing down off the coast of Florida. The samples are sent to the ETS Laboratories for analysis and comparison to the control experiment. Analysis was conducted to determine if the juices grew different species from one another, in which they did.
The Cabernet Sauvignon frozen juice samples were thawed at the same time – both in microgravity on the ISS and in a controlled laboratory environment on Earth. The native microbes were allowed to ferment for three days before the completion of the experiment. The samples were refrozen until analysis upon return.
On a chilly winter day in Wallops Island, Virginia, Michael David Winery’s fermentation experiment, Grape Microbiota is launched into space on the Northrop Grumman CRS-15 mission payload headed to the International Space Station.
The Michael David Winery team flies to Wallop Flight Facility in Virginia to meet with our implementation partners, CSS, a science-based company that works alongside the International Space Station. The team met at the flight facility to prepare the project and hand over to the Northrop Grumman crew who subsequently loaded the experiment onto the rocket.
Jeff Farthing, Director of Winemaking at Michael David Winery, proposed comparing the microbial impact of grape juice fermenting in space versus on Earth. Upon approval of the project by ISS Labs and after significant project development, the mission’s name “Grape Microbiota” was given and will officially be known as such in the logbooks of the International Space Station.
After a lifetime interest in space exploration, Michael Phillips decides to participate in a private experiment for completion on the International Space Station (ISS) in hopes of becoming the first winery in history to conduct wine fermentation in space.
