Wine producers and grape growers have a new tool to help manage the impact of grapes exposed to smoke from forest fires.

Researchers from UBC香蕉视频直播檚 Okanagan campus have devised an analytical test to precisely and accurately measure the amount of volatile phenols香蕉视频直播揷ompounds absorbed by grapes when exposed to smoke that can impact wine flavour香蕉视频直播搕hat are present in the fruit prior to wine production, according to UBCO.

香蕉视频直播淯ntil now, detecting these smoky compounds in grapes required fermenting a small sample over at least ten days and relying on subjective measures like taste and odour,香蕉视频直播� said assistant professor of chemistry, Wesley Zandberg. 香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檝e developed a test that detects the exact amount of volatile phenols present in the grape. There香蕉视频直播檚 no need to ferment them first and we get results within a matter of hours.香蕉视频直播�

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Wine grapes that are exposed to smoke from wildfires absorb and metabolize volatile phenols in their skin, which may affect the taste of the wine later on, according to Zandberg. He said wine producers and grape growers utilizing subjective measures currently have to wait one or two weeks to find out if their grapes are suitable for wine-making. Meanwhile costs and risk mount as their crops sit on the vine.

香蕉视频直播淏y accurately and quickly measuring the presence of volatile phenols, we香蕉视频直播檙e offering a much better tool to help vineyards and wineries manage the risk from smoke exposure,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淏y knowing precisely whether and by how much each crop has been impacted by smoke exposure, growers and winemakers alike can make informed decisions about whether the grapes should be used or abandoned altogether.香蕉视频直播�

Zandberg and his PhD student Matthew Noestheden, working in collaboration with several local vineyards and a Kelowna-based analytical company Supra Research and Development, have developed their test after a thorough review of all scientific literature on how Vitis vinifera 香蕉视频直播搕he plant that produces wine grapes香蕉视频直播揳bsorbs and metabolizes the smoky-flavoured compounds. They then used a series of chemical techniques to isolate the metabolized volatile phenols and measure them to a high degree of accuracy, according to UBCO.

But Zandberg is also quick to point out that many wines are aged in smoked oak barrels that contain volatile phenols, so their presence is not necessarily a bad thing.

香蕉视频直播淲e can also apply our technique after the grapes have been fermented and aged to measure phenol levels in the wine itself. This could be hugely beneficial in helping winemakers determine whether wines have enough smoky compounds to match their desired flavour profile after aging in smoked barrels.香蕉视频直播�

The study was published in the and was supported by funding from Mitacs, the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council and the British Columbia Grape Council.