In 2020, winemakers needed reliable data to decide whether to discard fruit ahead of beginning the winemaking process but analytical demand rapidly outstripped supply as thousands of wineries sought smoke taint analysis via commercial laboratories with limited throughput. This observation is an important limitation-for this application and more generally in the production of seasonal products-when analyses are required quickly and in large numbers, to support decisions around how best to manage the harvest at key points in the year. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) techniques, utilizing solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fibers for phenol extraction, offer sensitive detection for such phenols but run times are in the order of 30–60 min per sample (2,3). Grapes absorb volatile phenols, such as guaiacol (G) and 4-methylguaiacol (4-MG), from burning wood, storing them as nonvolatile glycosylated precursors prior to release during winemaking. Therefore, rapid and reliable methods for detecting compounds associated with smoke taint in unfermented grape juice or newly fermented wines are needed to help winemakers navigate this problem. This concern resulted in a major economic hit for an industry struggling to rebuild. Exposed to smoke for prolonged periods throughout the month of September, the 2020 harvest was written off by winemakers who were unwilling to risk producing wine with a smoky, ashy taint (1). The wildfires that hit northern California in 2020 caused extensive damage to numerous vineyards however, in many cases, the vines themselves remained intact.
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