Evaluation of Smoke Compounds in Wine Derived from 13C-Labelled Smoke
D. Cole Cerrato, Lindsay Garcia, Michael Penner,
and Elizabeth Tomasino*
*Oregon State University, 100 Wiegand Hall, Corvallis, OR, 97331
(elizabeth.tomasino@oregonstate.edu)
A major concern for many winegrape growers and winemakers currently is the effect of wildfire smoke on the final wine quality. Wildfire smoke has impacted many wine regions around the world, including the west coast of the United States, Australia, and even parts of France. The compounds associated with smoke in wine, such as guaiacol and syringol, have long been used to describe the presence of smoke in the vineyard and smoke-impacted grapes. However, the current marker compounds are not as successful in predicting smoke taint in wines. To identify and track the compounds from wildfire smoke found in smoke-exposed grapes and smoke-tainted wines, 13C-labelled smoke was used. 13C-labelled barley was grown in an elevated 13CO2 atmosphere and used to create 13C-labelled smoke upon ignition, achieving a 13C/12C composition in dry barley as high as 4.47 ± 0.74%, evaluated using IRMS. The 13C compounds were then tracked in smoke-exposed grapes and wine. GC-MS, LC-MS, and 13C-NMR were used to evaluate potentially novel compounds due to smoke exposure and tracked by the presence of elevated 13C. By better understanding the chemical influences smoke has on wine, amelioration to remove smoke-related compounds could be more targeted, without impacting other, desirable wine qualities.
Funding Support: American Vineyard Foundation, USDA-Northwest Center for Small Fruits Research USDA-ARS
