Henry Kampen* and Benjamin Benitez
*California State University Fresno, 9 Edith Court, Napa, CA 94558 (hnkampen@gmail.com)

The wine industry faces a growing problem of wildfire smoke, causing grapes to possibly be unsuitable for wine production. The volatile phenol compounds (VPs) present in wildfire smoke impart unpleasant sensory notes to the wine, including multiple ashy aromatics and bitter and smoky notes to the palate. This issue impacts wine-producing regions on an international scale, so methods to effectively remove VPs with minimal impact on wine quality are necessary. The goal of this project was to investigate the effect of activated carbon and polyvinylpolypyrrolidone (PVPP) treatments on primary smoke phenols (4-ethylguaiacol, 4-ethyl phenol, guaiacol, and 4-methylguaiacol), pigment density, and wine structure in a smoke-tainted Cabernet Sauvignon wine. Smoke-impacted Cabernet Sauvignon berries were harvested from Napa Valley and processed using conventional wine production methods. The wine was then treated with two amelioration regimens: activated carbon or activated car- bon in conjunction with PVPP. Both treatments were used at manufacturer’s recommended dosage (50 g/hL for carbon and 2lbs/1000 gal for PVPP). The treatments were followed by sterile filtration. While the overall effects of activated carbon have been shown to strip smoke phenols from wine, it is beneficial to establish parameters for the consequent removal of other, desirable aroma compounds. Spectrophotom- etry, gas-chromatography mass-spectrometry, and statistical sensory evaluations (triangle test) were used to determine which treatment was more effective at smoke VPs removal. By establishing rates of loss of desirable wine characteristics along with smoke phenols removal, risk/benefit decisions can be made when using activated carbon or PVPP for smoke amelioration.

Funding Support: California State University Fresno