Hey, good summary of wine analysis and variables to watch. I have been using some analytical chemistry instrumentation in the lab for QA/QC of beers for the brewery I am working with. A bit of HPLC, but also GC-MS, so I can corroborate that people are in fact employing these tools to the art and craft of wine and beer making. We typically use it to test new brewing methods, check progress of active or stuck fermentations, and also get an idea of how much of what is in the bottle. For example, using GC-MS to analyze volatile organics like esters, but also terpenes from hops; while the HPLC is employed for the more water-soluble molecules like alpha-acids from hops that impart the bitterness.

Ultimately it's the yeast that makes the finished product, so keeping those critters happy is crucial to getting the right flavor profile, and of course keeping things sterile whenever possible. This is the justification I use for my direction with genetic engineering of brewing yeasts in beer: Since the yeast do most of the work, it makes sense to use them as a platform to customize biosynthesis of normal flavors, novel flavor compounds, as well as to make alterations to carbohydrate metabolism/utilization.

Always glad to see more interest in the scientific end of brewing! We are growing in number!