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November 2017 WINES&VINES 17 WINE INDUSTRY NEWS ECO-FRIENDLY PLASTIC STORAGE BINS PLASTIC CALLOUS BOXES FOR VINE CLEANLINESS Wonderful Nurseries' ADVANCED TESTING LAB WonderfulNurseries.com 661.758.4777 PREMIER QUALITY FROM NORTH AMERICA'S LEADING VINE NURSERY SERVING THE WINE, TABLE GRAPE, RAISIN AND PISTACHIO INDUSTRIES Leaders raise the bar in everything they do and that's why Wonderful Nurseries continues to set the industry standards for vine cleanliness, improved irrigation methods and product selection. In the last year alone, Wonderful Nurseries has completed a new, state-of the-art greenhouse facility to house 8 million-vines annually, changed from wood to eco-friendly recycled plastic storage bins and callous boxes, and introduced new sanitization techniques. From our 2010 Protocol mother blocks, our advanced testing lab enabling 100% scion testing for internal mother blocks, the innovative Root Sock and more, Wonderful Nurseries strives to provide the cleanest, healthiest vines in the industry. It's how we lead. It's how we grow. S an Rafael, Calif.—Wine- makers in Northern Cali- fornia wine regions struck by wildfires have a legitimate worry about how widespread smoke may affect the quality of wines made from grapes har- vested after the inferno began. While fire-affected wine re- gions had already harvested a substantial majority of their crops before the onset of the fires, it is not too late to apply the most cur- rent knowledge about smoke taint to the remaining amount, esti- mated at between 10% and 25% in various counties. Here are six misconceptions about smoke taint to be aware of: Misconception 1) Smoke is less of a risk late in the growing season: An Australian study found that taint was the most el- evated when smoke exposure oc- curred in the period from seven days after véraison to the harvest date. California wildfires clearly erupted in that time period. Eric Herve of ETS Laboratories adds: "Grapes will keep passively ad- sorbing smoke volatile organic compounds as long as smoke is present." Misconception 2) Washing the grapes can manage smoke taint: The compounds that cause smoke taint are already inside the grapes. A bulletin from the UC Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology states that "smoke- derived volatile phenols can be absorbed both directly via the berry cuticle and via the leaves and translocated to the fruit." Misconception 3) Smoke can affect next year's crop, too: Numerous sources and studies confirm that smoke taint does not linger in the plant in a way that could affect the quality of future harvests. Misconception 4) Reverse osmosis permanently removes smoke taint: Reverse osmosis can remove smoke-derived com- pounds, but the taint returns over time, the UC Davis bulletin states. Basically, the smoke effects are temporarily bound up in the chemistry of the wine but can be released as the wine ages. Bob Kreisher of Mavrik North America disputes this, saying, "Membrane methods have come a long way." Misconception 5) Fining is an effective solution for smoke- tainted wine: Fining can effec- tively "clean" the smoke taint out of a wine, but fining is not a very selective process, so it will also remove many favorable attributes from a wine along with the smoke- derived compounds, the bulletin states. Fining could be counter- productive to use on potentially high-quality wines. Misconception 6) Smoke taint in a wine diminishes as the wine ages: On the contrary, smoke taint is likely to increase with time. Industry supplier Scott Laboratories recommends on its website numer- ous treatments to mitigate smoke taint but adds, "Smoke-related characteristics can evolve over time, so early consumption is recom- mended whenever possible." —Jim Gordon TOP STORY Smoke Taint Misconceptions Cabernet Sauvignon clusters hang in a smoky vineyard in Napa's Ruth- erford AVA on Oct. 10.