Smokey-tasting wine has cost the industry billions of dollars. A particular species of bacteria could help solve this problem.
Wildfires are becoming more frequent and severe on the U.S. West Coast—a region that produces the vast majority of the country’s wine. The resulting smoke has proven to be a costly problem for winemakers, tainting billions of dollars’ worth of product with an unwanted smoky flavor.
Fortunately, scientists may have found a clever solution. In a new study published Wednesday in the journal Plos One, researchers led by Claudia Castro of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service identified two strains of Gordonia alkanivorans that break down guaiacol—a compound in wildfire smoke that taints the flavor of wine.
The team honed in on the specific genes that give the bacteria this ability, opening the door to biotechnologies that could combat the effects of wildfire smoke contamination.
“Smoke taint in wine has caused significant economic losses for the wine industry in recent years,” the study states. “For example, California and Oregon lost $3.7 billion due to smoke taint in 2020.
