They were taken into space in November 2019 and March 2020, respectively, as part of an experiment organized by European start-up Space Cargo Unlimited (SCU), according to a statement released on Monday.
The research, known as Mission Wise, is exploring how to develop “new ways to grow plants on Earth and increase them to feed more people on the planet.”
Vineyards will be analyzed to see how they have changed during their time in space, where the effects of microgravity and exposure to higher radiation than on Earth accelerate genetic changes.
Scientists will then compare them to specimens left on Earth, with the goal of adapting the vines to grow in harsher environments.
Expert tasters will also taste the 12 bottles of Bordeaux to see what effects their time in space has had on the wine.
“Space Cargo Unlimited will investigate how space radiation and microgravity affect wine components during the aging process,” the company said in a statement in November 2019. “This could produce results that help understand the improvement in taste and food preservation “.
Researchers believe the vineyard and wine are “ideal study materials” for assessing the future of agriculture, as climate change continues to change growing conditions.
According to researchers, woody plants such as vines are crucial to feeding the human population, but they have never been studied in space.
“This could change the game to unlock tomorrow’s agriculture,” said Michael Lebert, SCU’s scientific director.
Future planned experiments include measuring the effect of space conditions on the fermentation of bacteria and yeast, SCU said.