The proposed research project will focus on understanding the in-vineyard and in-winery mechanisms responsible for the phenomenon of smoke-taint in wines—that is, the tendency of grapes exposed to forest fire smoke to produce smoke-flavoured wines in the absence of any perceptible aroma in the grapes. Of interest here is discerning exactly how the flavoured compounds of smoke are biochemically stored within ripening grapes in addition to how they are released again by yeast enzymes during the fermentation process. A clearer (bio)chemical understanding of smoke-taint will necessarily involve the development of improved analytical methods and testing procedures which the partner organization (Supra Research and Development) will be able to offer to North American grape and wine producers. TO BE CONT'D