Wine grapes that are exposed to smoke can be left with undesirable sensory characteristics that may leave them unsuitable for wine making. As the state prepares for bushfire season, important research is underway to identify the level of smoke taint that can be tolerated to produce a premium sparkling wine.
Dr Sam Sawyer is a food scientist at the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture (TIA). She is leading the project ‘Beating smoke taint with sparking wine’ funded by the Tasmanian Government’s Agricultural Innovation Fund to help the wine industry mitigate the impacts of smoke taint.
“Smoke taint from bushfires is a huge concern for wine producers and we know the risk will increase with climate change. We’ve been lucky over the last few years, but that won’t last forever,” Dr Sawyer said.
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