An Oregon State University-led research team has discovered a class of compounds that contribute to smoke taint in wine and grapes.
An Oregon State University-led research team has discovered a class of compounds that contribute to smoke taint in wine and grapes.
“This is a critically important for winemakers who are increasingly dealing with the impact of wildfire smoke on their grapes,” said Elizabeth Tomasino, an associate professor of enology at Oregon State. “It provides them markers that are much more predictive of smoke taint in wine than we previously had.”
The findings are not yet published, but Tomasino is discussing them during a presentation this week at the American Society for Enology and Viticulture national conference in San Diego. Scientists at Washington State University who also worked on the research are joining her.
For years, a class of compounds known as volatile phenols have been used as markers for smoke taint in wine and grapes. However, they weren’t considered good predictors of smoke taint issues, Tomasino said. For example, wines with high levels of these compounds often didn’t taste smoke tainted and wines with low levels did taste smoke tainted.
Read more at: Oregon State University
Photo Credit: Elizabeth Tomasino, Oregon State University
