Smoky Character in Wines

Smoke flavors in grapes and wine were a concern in the 2008 growing season following the Mendocino Lightning Fires of June 20-July 20. Most research has been done in Australia during the past decade. These are articles that you may want to read to further your knowledge:

Wine Industry Newsletter
(September 2008) from Western Australia Department of Agriculture and Food with 3 articles on smoke , 8 pages.

Smoke Final Report 2007(2)
Victoria (Australia) report on smoke , 59 pages.

The Release of Smoke-Derived Volatile Phenols
During Fermentation of Merlot Juice following Grape Exposure to Smoke. K. Kennison et al., Journal of Agricultural Food Chemistry, 2008, 6 pages.

Effect of Postharvest Smoke Exposure of Grapes
On the Chemical Composition and Sensory Characteristics of Wine. K. Kennison et al., Journal of Agricultural Food Chemistry, 2007, 5 pages.

Wilkinson Smoke Presentation (2)
This is a Power Point presentation containing an overview of smoke and some research on how to treat it by Kerry Wilkinson, a leading smoke researcher in South Australia.

AWRI Annual Report 2003
This is a recap of Australian Wine Research Institute projects from 2003. On pp 37-39 there is a summary of work performed on the smoke issue resulting from fires in New South Wales during that year.