Location: Horticultural Crops Production and Genetic Improvement Research Unit
Project Number: 2072-21000-057-041-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Sep 1, 2024
End Date: Aug 31, 2025
Objective:
1. Determine why certain grape varieties are more susceptible to smoke taint than others.
2. Mitigate smoke taint in wine by selective removal of only smoke taint compounds.
3. Understand consumers perception of smoke taint in wine and how labeling can influence their emotional response and preference.
Approach:
Smoke taint impacts both red and white grape varieties in different manners. Some grape varieties require much more smoke exposure before any alteration to flavor can be perceived while others cannot. Multiple approaches will be used to attempt to determine the mechanism(s) responsible for this including the lipids in skins, as smoke phenols are soluble in oils and therefore the composition of lipids in and on the skin may be a driver for the uptake of smoke compounds.
To date there are no mitigate processes available to winemakers that only remove smoke compounds in wine. Fining agents, filtration and other processes also remove other desirable products. We aim to develop mitigation strategies that only remove smoke related compounds by developing a trapping system where the compound or compounds that trap the smoke compounds do not come in contact with the wine.
There has been very little work on how consumers perceive smoke impacts and smoke taint, if they find it as objectionable as those in the wine industry and how outside information, such as the difficulties with smoke that year, can alter their willingness to purchase or enjoy a bottle. We plan on collaborating with a colleague at Massey university that specializes in consumer sciences to explore this important and overlooked aspect of grape smoke exposure and smoke taint in wine.
