Jenna Fryer and Elizabeth Tomasino*
*Oregon State University, 3051 SW Campus Way, Corvallis, OR, 97331 (elizabeth.tomasino@oregonstate.edu)

With the increasing frequency of wildfires in wine-producing regions around the world, wine producers are looking for strategies to reduce the sensory impact that these fires have on wine. Wines produced from smoke-exposed grapes have been found to have smokey, burnt, and dirty aromas and flavors, along with a distinctive lingering ashy finish. Several mitigation strategies have been studied to determine their level of efficacy in reducing the effect of wildfires on wines, looking at both chemical composition and sensory alterations. This study further evaluated the influences of common winemaking practices on the sensory properties of wildfire-affected wines. Using descriptive analysis of Cabernet Sauvignon wines, blending, carbon fining, SRX resin treatment, oak chips, and differing oak barrel usage were all evaluated. The results indicated that blending did not consistently reduce smoke flavor perception as the percentage of smoke-affected wine in the blend was reduced. The resin treatment showed more promise for reducing smoke flavors than the carbon treatment. For oak, differences based on oak origin were observed, with greater intensities of smoke flavors with French oak than American oak. Finally, this study showed that from a sensory perspective, there was no carryover of smoke flavors from used barrels that previously held smoke-affected wine. Overall, this work showed that common winemaking practices can effectively reduce the effect of wildfire on wines; however, further trials must determine what provides the most benefit for a specific vintage. This work helps increase our knowledge of the sensory alterations that wildfires cause and how widely used winemaking practices affect wine sensory properties. With this knowledge, sensory-guided decisions can be made on what strategies to employ in future wildfire years.

Funding Support: USDA-SCRI grant no. 2021-51181-35862/project accession no. 1027470