KQED's Forum When Smoke Gets in Your Wine
Jan 16, 2026
Nicola Twilley, a contributor to The New Yorker and author focused on smoke taint in wine, joins winemaker Ashley Egelhoff from Honig Vineyard & Winery. They delve into how wildfire smoke affects grape chemistry, leading to undesirable flavors. Ashley shares her hands-on experience grappling with smoke-impacted fruit and innovative testing methods. The discussion also touches on the industry's struggles with climate change, the challenges of measuring smoke compounds, and the debate on whether smoke can be a unique terroir or a flaw in wine.
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Prioritize Testing And Whites First
- Test incoming fruit thoroughly before processing and favor whites that are pressed off skins.
- Prioritize whites like Sauvignon Blanc since most smoke compounds reside in skins and reds are harder to salvage.
Matrix Effects Make Taste Nonlinear
- Wine's complex aromatic matrix can mask or amplify smoke compounds, changing detection thresholds.
- Fruit notes and yeast-produced esters can either hide or boost smoky perception unpredictably.
Blends Can Taste Ashier Than Heavily Smoked
- Nicola Twilley described a blind tasting of Pinot Noirs with varying smoke blends where she misidentified favorites.
- Elizabeth Tomasino found some intermediate blends taste ashier than heavily tainted or clean wines due to matrix effects.
