Abstract
Grapevine smoke exposure and the subsequent development of smoke taint in wine has resulted in significant financial losses for grape growers and winemakers throughout the world. Smoke taint is characterized by objectional smoky aromas such as “ashy”, “burning rubber”, and “smoked meats”, resulting in wine that is unpalatable and hence unprofitable. Unfortunately, current climate change models predict a broadening of the window in which bushfires may occur and a rise in bushfire occurrences and severity in major wine growing regions such as Australia, Mediterranean Europe, North and South America, and South Africa. As such, grapevine smoke exposure and smoke taint in wine are increasing problems for growers and winemakers worldwide. Current recommendations for growers concerned that their grapevines have been exposed to smoke are to conduct pre-harvest mini-ferments for sensory assessment and send samples to a commercial laboratory to quantify levels of smoke-derived volatiles in the wine. Significant novel research is being conducted using spectroscopic techniques coupled with machine learning modeling to assess grapevine smoke contamination and taint in grapes and wine, offering growers and winemakers additional tools to monitor grapevine smoke exposure and taint rapidly and non-destructively in grapes and wine.
Highlights
Bushfires are a common occurrence globally, in places such as Australia, South Africa, Mediterranean Europe, and North and South America [1,2,3,4,5,6]
Smoke contains a complex mixture of gases, including SO2, CO2, NO2, and O3, which have been shown to inhibit photosynthesis and cause leaf necrosis [21,35,61]
Smoke contains a complex mixture of gases and volatile phenols that may affect grape berries’ chemical composition and result in smoke-tainted wine
Summary
Bushfires are a common occurrence globally, in places such as Australia, South Africa, Mediterranean Europe, and North and South America [1,2,3,4,5,6]. Grapevine smoke exposure alters the chemical composition of grape berries, and the resulting wine produced is characterized by off-putting smoky aromas such as “burnt wood”, “ashy”, “burning rubber”, and “smoked meat” [1,21,22,23]. These smoky characteristics have been attributed to various volatile phenols present in smoke, including guaiacol, 4-methylguaiacol, syringols, and cresols [1,4]. The 2019/2020 bushfires in eastern Australia have been estimated to have cost the wine industry AUD 40 million due to smoke taint, burnt vineyards, and lost sales [33]. Grapevine smoke contamination and smoke taint in wine is a significant economic problem
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
