Smoke Study Dec 27

Mike Stephens

News Reporter

West Coast University Scientists Receive a $7.65 million dollar Grant to Study Smoke Impact on Grapes and Wine.

A team of West Coast university researchers received a $7.65 million dollar grant to study the impact of smoke on grapes and wine. The research project is expected to produce new insights, strategies and tools to help wine grape growers and winemakers prevent or better manage the damage to grape quality and wine that can result when wildfire smoke events occur.

The four-year project is funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture Specialty Crop Research Initiative. The project brings together ongoing state-based research programs into a strong, coordinated effort. Dr. Elizabeth Tomasino of Oregon State University, who serves as project director, is joined by Drs. Tom Collins of Washington State University and Anita Oberholster of the University of California, Davis. Project objectives were developed after the research team collected industry input during grant planning sessions held in California, Oregon and Washington.

Grape exposure to wildfire smoke can compromise the quality and value of wine grapes. Wildfires have been especially devastating for the West Coast, where California, Oregon and Washington are three of the nation’s top four producing states. Since 2019, grape growers and wineries from these three states have worked together under the banner of the West Coast Smoke Exposure Task Force to coordinate smoke impact research and industry education.