Australian wine institute urges growers to prepare early for bushfire smoke before the 2026-27 summer season

The Australian Wine Research Institute on Tuesday, November 10, urged grape growers and winemakers to prepare early for bushfires and smoke exposure as Australia moves into the 2026-27 summer season, pointing producers to a set of technical resources, monitoring tools and testing services aimed at reducing the risk of smoke damage to grapes and wine.

In a bulletin to the industry, the institute said its smoke taint information page brings together guidance on sampling, laboratory testing, interpretation of results, sensory effects and possible mitigation steps. It also directed producers to Wine Australia’s materials on fires and smoke, including case studies and podcasts, as well as state-based resources from Wine Victoria, the South Australian Wine Industry Association, the New South Wales government, South Australia’s Primary Industries and Regions department and Wine Tasmania.

The reminder comes as vineyards and wineries enter a period when hot weather, fire activity and airborne smoke can threaten grape quality and complicate harvest planning. Smoke exposure is a major concern for wine producers because compounds taken up by grapes can later affect aroma and flavor, a problem commonly referred to in the industry as smoke taint.

AWRI said a range of public and commercial tools is available to help producers track conditions before and during a fire event. Those include Bureau of Meteorology heatwave forecasts, NASA’s Fire Information for Resource Management System, the Sentinel live bushfire hotspots map, Wine Industry Smoke Detectors and the AirRater app. The institute also recommended that growers download their local state fire and emergency alert app for warnings and updates on fires in progress.

A key part of the industry’s response is now built around in-vineyard monitoring. AWRI said Wine Australia-funded research led to the development of a network of field smoke monitors known as Wine Industry Smoke Detectors, or WISDs. The system is designed to give vineyards a real-time smoke taint risk rating during the season. AWRI said the monitors are now being used commercially and can be accessed online by industry users.

The institute also repeated its guidance on when grapes should be tested. It said sampling for smoke analysis should take place about three weeks before harvest so there is enough time to transport fruit to a laboratory and complete testing before picking decisions are made. AWRI said results can be compared with its background database of smoke marker compounds, provided the same analytical methods are used, which helps producers judge whether detected levels are unusual for a given variety.

That background database now contains information for 21 grape varieties grown in Australia, according to the institute. AWRI said pre-veraison grapes and leaf samples should not be tested for commercial decision-making because there is no background database for those sample types to support interpretation of the results.

AWRI said all results issued by Affinity Labs, its commercial arm, include charts showing how a sample compares with the background data. The institute referred producers to an explainer article for more detail on how those comparisons are used. It also said Affinity Labs is currently the only laboratory offering a commercial smoke analysis testing service, while the AWRI helpdesk remains available to provide general advice and help interpret Affinity Labs results.

The bulletin also addressed what would happen if a major smoke event affects multiple wine regions. AWRI said it would work with Wine Australia, regional associations and other stakeholders to share technical information and help organize sample collection and transport. It said question-and-answer sessions could be arranged in affected regions, most likely online or in a hybrid format, and that in-region sample preparation could be supported to speed up laboratory turnaround times.

AWRI said Affinity Labs has expanded its smoke testing capability since 2020 and would move quickly to increase analytical capacity if a large smoke event occurs. The institute told growers and winemakers seeking assistance with contingency planning or testing interpretation to contact its helpdesk, and said questions about the Wine Industry Smoke Detectors can be directed to Wine Australia.