Wildfire smoke exposure to grapevines is an increasingly important issue for wine grape growers and winemakers. As wildfires become more frequent and intense in the American West, large vineyard regions are increasingly getting exposed to smoke and ash every year. Wildfire smoke contains a variety of volatile organic compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and particulate matter, exposure to which can affect vine physiology, growth, and berry development. Smoke exposure has been linked to decreased carbon assimilation, stomatal conductance, vine water status, and vine yield. Smoke can also increase susceptibility of grapevines to biotic and abiotic stress. Smoke exposure negatively impacts berry development and ripening, resulting in low sugar and acid levels. Smoke taint, resulting from smoke compounds getting absorbed into the grape berries, can lead to off-flavors and aromas in the wine, making it less desirable to consumers.
This project aims at understanding grapevine physiology and its interaction with wildfire smoke, and explores management options against the development of smoke taint in wine.
Project Output:
- Determination of critical smoke exposure thresholds using custom smoking chambers. S Kar, JB DeShields, AD Levin. 2022 SOREC Grape Day - Oregon State University
- Researcher builds 'smoke chamber' to test impact on winegrapes
