Italy - The taste of wine can be spoiled by fires
Researchers at the Technical University Munich published a study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry: it identifies how the substances released during a forest fire can affect the taste of wine produced by vineyards in adjacent areas.
The study shows that an enzyme of the vine incorporates the aromas of combustion into grape sugars. Subsequent fermentation yeast digests these sugars and releases the inorganic molecules in the air. The enzyme is called “glycosyltransferase” and acts on resveratrol, an antioxidant present in red wine. Taste alteration appears only when the product is finished when the yeast added to the fermentation triggers the sugars.
In recent years, Italy has experienced very dry summers with several fires. For this reason, German research had a strong echo on the local press.
