Science Daily reported Jan. 23, that researchers have developed a method for detecting smoke taint in both grapes and wine.
The new test method should be of interest to both wine growers and wine partakers in Northern California, one of the great wine producing regions of the world - a region that is often plagued with wildfires which scorch thousands of acres of forest and farmland.
The new method to detect grapes exposed to smoke was reported in the American Chemical Society’s Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
Yoji Hayasaka and his research team conducted the research in response to the growing number of wildfires in Australia and other parts of the world and the impact of smoke-tainting on the wine industry.
Smoke from wildfires can travel long distances covering vineyards near and far. Wine produced from grapes exposed to smoke is often unpalatable having tastes and aromas that resemble "smoked meat," "disinfectant" or a "dirty ashtray."
The scientists developed tests that not only can determine whether grapes have been smoke-exposed before they were crushed and pressed into wine but can also identify smoked wines.
The research was funded by Australia's grape growers and winemakers with matching funds from the Australian government.
Check out all my examiner columns:
Art - Film - Health - Music - Performing Arts - Science
Subscribe to get email updates when new articles are published!
Comments