Evaluation of passive samplers as a cost-effective method to predict the impact of wildfire smoke in grapes and wines

Arran C Rumbaugh; Chen Liang; Yan Wen; Andrey Khlystov; Dave Campbell; Christopher Wallis; Hao-Lin Fang; Anthony Wexler; Yeongkwon Son

doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.141191

Evaluation of passive samplers as a cost-effective method to predict the impact of wildfire smoke in grapes and wines

Food Chem. 2025 Jan 15;463(Pt 2):141191. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.141191. Epub 2024 Sep 12.

Authors

Arran C Rumbaugh¹, Chen Liang², Yan Wen³, Andrey Khlystov⁴, Dave Campbell⁵, Christopher Wallis⁶, Hao-Lin Fang⁷, Anthony Wexler⁸, Yeongkwon Son⁹

Affiliations

¹ United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Davis, California 95616, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].
² Department of Viticulture and Enology, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, California 95616, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].
³ Desert Research Institute (DRI), 2215 Raggio Pkwy, Reno, NV 89512, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁴ Desert Research Institute (DRI), 2215 Raggio Pkwy, Reno, NV 89512, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁵ Desert Research Institute (DRI), 2215 Raggio Pkwy, Reno, NV 89512, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁶ Air Quality Research Center, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, California 95616, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁷ Departments of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering and Land, Air and Water Resources, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, California 95616, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁸ Air Quality Research Center, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, California 95616, USA; Departments of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering and Land, Air and Water Resources, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, California 95616, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁹ Desert Research Institute (DRI), 2215 Raggio Pkwy, Reno, NV 89512, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 39303475
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.141191

Abstract

Wildfire smoke exposure alters grape composition, potentially resulting in "smoke tainted" wines. This has been correlated with elevated levels of smoke-derived volatile phenols (VPs) in grapes and wines. This work sought to create a predictive tool that could correlate levels of VPs in smoke with concentrations in grapes and wines. Therefore, passive samplers and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes were intentionally exposed to various smoke intensities, and wines were made thereafter. As expected, concentrations of VPs in grapes and wines were positively associated with the intensity of smoke exposure. Interestingly, levels of guaiacol in the passive samplers had a strong positive correlation with concentrations in grapes (R² = 0.9999) and wines (R² = 0.9998). The passive samplers were able to accurately predict guaiacol levels in smoke exposed grapes and wines with percent errors ranging from 0.08 to 11.3 %. These results suggest the capability of passive samplers to act as a monitoring system in vineyards during smoke events.

Keywords: Passive sampler; Volatile phenols; Wildfire smoke.

Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Publication types

Evaluation Study

MeSH terms

Cost-Benefit Analysis
Fruit / chemistry
Phenols / analysis
Smoke* / analysis
Vitis* / chemistry
Volatile Organic Compounds / analysis
Volatile Organic Compounds / chemistry
Wildfires*
Wine* / analysis

Substances

Smoke
Phenols
Volatile Organic Compounds