Amelioration of Smoke Taint in Cabernet Sauvignon Wine via Post-Harvest Ozonation of Grapes

Strategies that mitigate the negative effects of vineyard exposure to smoke on wine composition and sensory properties are needed to address the recurring incidence of bushfires in or near wine regions. Recent research demonstrated the potential for post-harvest ozonation of moderately smoke-exposed grapes to reduce both the concentration of smoke taint marker compounds (i.e., volatile phenols and their glycosides) and the perceived intensity of smoke taint in wine, depending on the dose and duration of ozone treatment. The current study further evaluated the efficacy of ozonation as a method for the amelioration of smoke taint in wine by comparing the chemical and sensory consequences of post-harvest ozonation (at 1 ppm for 24 h) of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes following grapevine exposure to dense smoke, i.e., ozone treatment of more heavily tainted grapes. Ozonation again yielded significant reductions in the concentration of free and glycosylated volatile phenols—up to 25% and 30%, respectively. However, although the intensities of smoke-related sensory attributes were generally lower in wines made with smoke-exposed grapes that were ozonated (compared to wines made with smoke-exposed grapes that were not ozonated), the results were not statistically significant. This suggests that the efficacy of ozone treatment depends on the extent to which grapes have been tainted by smoke.