Posted on Oct 1, 2023
Inside West Coast scientists’ mission to save America’s wine industry from climate change
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The U.S. West Coast produces over 90% of America’s wine, but the region is also prone to wildfires — a combustible combination that spelled disaster for the industry in 2020 and one that scientists are scrambling to neutralize.
Sample a good wine and you might get notes of oak or red fruit. But sip on wine made from grapes that were penetrated by smoke, and it could taste like someone dumped the contents of an ashtray into your glass.
Wine experts from three West Coast universities are working together to meet the threat, including developing spray coatings to protect grapes, pinpointing the elusive compounds that create that nasty ashy taste, and deploying smoke sensors to vineyards to better understand smoke behavior.
The U.S. government is funding their research with millions of dollars. Wineries are also taking steps to protect their product and brand.
Sample a good wine and you might get notes of oak or red fruit. But sip on wine made from grapes that were penetrated by smoke, and it could taste like someone dumped the contents of an ashtray into your glass.
Wine experts from three West Coast universities are working together to meet the threat, including developing spray coatings to protect grapes, pinpointing the elusive compounds that create that nasty ashy taste, and deploying smoke sensors to vineyards to better understand smoke behavior.
The U.S. government is funding their research with millions of dollars. Wineries are also taking steps to protect their product and brand.
Inside West Coast scientists’ mission to save America’s wine industry from climate change
Posted from opb.org
Wine
Wine Making
Science
Government
USDA
Posted 7 mo ago
Responses: 2
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While I enjoy Napa Valley wines, we buy Washington state wines. They are just as good, IMO, but costs less.
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MSG Stan Hutchison
PO1 William "Chip" Nagel - My wife enjoys Merlot and Cab from Chateau St. Michael. Reasonable prices and a decent wine.
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
...""This research has really gone a long way to help us try to find: are there ways in which we can take fruit from the vineyard and quickly find out if it has the potential compounds that would lead to smoke-impacted wine,” Jones said.
Collins predicts success.
“I think it’s increasingly clear that we’re not likely to find a magic bullet," he said. "But we will find a set of strategies.”...
...""This research has really gone a long way to help us try to find: are there ways in which we can take fruit from the vineyard and quickly find out if it has the potential compounds that would lead to smoke-impacted wine,” Jones said.
Collins predicts success.
“I think it’s increasingly clear that we’re not likely to find a magic bullet," he said. "But we will find a set of strategies.”...
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