California: ‘Smoke taint’ making winemakers nervous

(CE) - While smoke from the Rim Fire hangs thick in the air over the foothills, winemakers across Calaveras County may be wondering whether smoke may permeate the fruit and potentially influence the flavor of this year’s wines. Could a bold, unique smoky flavor be a hit with wine connoisseurs?

“No, absolutely not,” said Chuck Hovey, owner of Hovey Winery in Murphys. “It’s definitely not something that is desirable.”

Smoke flavor in wines is known as “smoke taint.” It is a phenomenon where grapes on the vine or fermenting are exposed to a large volume of smoke and their flavor is tainted. With enough smoke, some wine is left unmarketable with a “wet-ashtray” taste, according to studies.

“The taint, characterized by objectionable smoky, dirty and burnt aromas and a lingering retro-nasal ash character on the palate, has caused significant financial loss for grape and wine producers and is therefore an issue of increasing concern,” the Journal for Agricultural Food Chemistry said.

According to a Department of Primary Industries report from Victoria, Australia, in 2003, bushfires led to wineries experiencing large financial losses “down under.” Australians felt the weight of financial burden caused by the fouled grapes and sought to remedy the sullied harvests. The Australian Wine Research Institute spent $4 million to discover the exact causes of smoke taint.

The two main culprits in the findings were phenol-derived compounds guaiacol and 4-methylguaiacol that result in pungent and smoky tasting wine.