December 20 2020 (San Luis Obispo, CA)—Tastry™, industry leader in sensory science, is announcing immediate availability of new rapid panels for detection of smoke taint. To complement its existing offerings, Tastry has developed and released its Rapid Smoke Panel-B for in-depth analysis of additional compounds contributing to smoke taint in this year’s wines. Rapid Smoke Panel-B includes 3 indicators essential to smoke taint detection: phenol, o-Creosol, m-Creosol, and p-Creosol. Due to extensive damage from wildfire smoke in wine-growing regions, volume and quality of 2020 vintages is dramatically reduced. Identification of these compounds provides vintners with an understanding of the extent of smoke taint present in their wines, allowing wineries to maximize the fruit that they have.
With the knowledge that volatile phenols contributing to smoke taint reside in both molecularly “free” and “bound” states, Tastry now includes testing options for detection of “free” concentrations or “free and bound” concentrations.
Tastry’s Rapid Smoke Panel-B is intended as a descendent of the Rapid Smoke Panel-A, which tests for Guaiacol and 4-Methylguaiacol. These identifiers of smoke taint are similarly available for reporting in “free” or “free and bound” concentrations. Tastry recommends Panel-A to determine if smoke taint is present and subsequent Panel-B testing for a more in-depth, cumulative understanding.
Together with these new offerings, Tastry is also offering pre-scheduled testing reservations for wineries that need to ensure rapid turnaround of test results. Wineries that reserve their testing slots can expect a 48-hour turnaround on test results.
Why Test For Bound Concentrations?
The importance of testing for bound compounds lies in the nature of molecular bonds coming apart over time and leading to the expression of otherwise hidden smoke taint characteristics. This unseen process can unfold as the wine ages and develops unpleasant flavors months after the wine is tested. Expert tasters can be a great asset in ascertaining the amount of human-detectable smoke taint in wine at the time of blending and bottling. However, bound compounds are not human-detectable. Panel testing for the amount of bound smoke can lead to a better understanding of the degree of smoke taint that a wine will express over time. Tastry offers testing for bound compounds to anticipate this eventuality. Additionally, Tastry can recommend expert tasters and winemaking consultants to assist in the winemaking process after smoke taint has been detected.
For more information, contact jordan@tastry.com
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