Life After Smoke Exposure

A new study from Oregon State University reveals new potential uses for wine grapes exposed to wildfire smoke.  OSU Enology Professor Elizabeth Tomasino said west coast wineries were devastated by the 2020 Labor Day fires.

“More than $3.4 billion were lost due to damages. And that’s not even the total, because of course, it impacts future years.”

Much of that loss is due to the belief that those tainted grapes had to be tossed.  But Tomasino said the study led by her team found some people actually liked the smoky flavor; especially those who didn’t have a preconceived idea of the taste or who liked smoked foods.

“Wineries have their products, they’re beautiful. They have their consumers who love their products. This is sort of saying, ‘you might need to do a shift. Maybe you create a different product. Maybe you go to a different market.’”

Her research was just published in the journal “Food Research International.”

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