Smoke Gets in Your ...

Wine.

There's a lot of buzz and concern about smoke taint in wines throughout California from last summer's fires. Like so many wine growing regions in Northern California, our little Anderson Valley was not spared.

I expect the nature and intensity of taint will vary wildly depending on the varietal, its amount of skin contact time, and exposure to smoke. As we start to see those wines being poured in tasting rooms, I will be just as curious as the next tire kicker to taste them. I've heard discussions about tasting notes range from "yeah, it's smoky" to "comparable to licking an ashtray".

I tasted an Anderson Valley pinot noir last night with smoke taint and I was happily surprised that the bouquet was not as offensive as I expected. Unmistakeable smokiness but in a hickory smoked bacon fat kind of way. And being a Burgundian style fan, bacon fat and some stinkiness is a good thing. However, further examination of the underlying notes did display an unpleasant charred wood and brush quality. Upon my initial tasting, I also thought it was not as horrible as I expected. There were some nuances from the charcuterie end of things but then there were also smoke flavors from the non-food spectrum as well as an element of petroleum, and, I noticed as I drove home that there was a lingering taste of burnt brush in my mouth.

Of course, depending on the severity of taint and what each winery does to minimize the taint (rafting, fining, blending, reverse osmosis, etc.) some wines may not be salvageable. I hope that many wines will be salvaged. Ever the optimist and mad scientist at heart, I find myself thinking of possible flavor pals to pair with the wines. I know how to boost inherent fruit, earth and spice qualities, how to raise or lower the perceived sweetness and acidity, and how to focus or neutralize flavors in untainted wines, but can I use those food and wine pairing principles to "fix" smoke tainted wines?

I will look for an opportunity to try....