Wildfires Will Change Taste Of California Wine, Make It More Smoky
California is known for its stellar quality grapes that make some of the most expensive wines. However, the smoke that gets released due to the wildfires gets absorbed by the grapes, completely altering their taste.
News online has shown us the horror that has been caused in the western states of the US due to the catastrophic wildfires that continue to burn and affect the lives of thousands of living creatures in those areas.
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We¡¯ve already seen how it turned skies blood red in some regions, making it look like something out of a sci-fi movie. And now, experts have expressed concerns that the smoke from these fires could ruin the taste of wines grown in those regions.
California is known for its stellar quality grapes that make some of the most expensive wines. However, the smoke that gets released due to the wildfires gets absorbed by the grapes, completely altering their taste.
According to a report by Wine Spectator, the smoke released from wood compounds dubbed volatile phenols get absorbed into the grape¡¯s cuticle, and bonds with its sugars inside to form glycosides. What¡¯s worse is that this absorption is almost undetectable. The outcome is only experienced by winemakers when they taste the final product and by that time it is already too late.
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According to wine expert Professor Burak Kazaz from Syracuse University, normally, there are ways winemakers can reduce the damage but this time, the damage is beyond repair.
He explains, "There are ways that winemakers can attempt to 'mask' the smoky taste, but it's literally permeated everything, from the grapes themselves to the wooden crates and barrels used to store grapes and the finished wine product. Heavy smoke and a burnt flavour is hard to remove, and the effect is cumulative as the state has been hit hard by wildfires for the past few years."
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According to Kerry Wilkinson, one of the prominent researchers from the University of Adelaide, Australia, ¡°If you are close to the fire but the smoke is blown away from you quickly, the risk of smoke taint is less. Whereas you could be farther away from the fire, but if the smoke drifts in and lingers in your vineyard, then the risk will increase.
