Assessing the Impact of Smoke Exposure in Grapes: Development and Validation of a HPLC-MS/MS Method for the Quantitative Analysis of Smoke-Derived Phenolic Glycosides in Grapes and Wine

Bushfires occur frequently in the vicinity of grape growing regions, resulting in smoke drifting over the vineyards. Wine made from smoked grapes is often downgraded or unfit for sale due to negative sensory characters. To manage or avoid the risk of producing smoke-affected wine, a diagnostic assay was developed for assessing the extent of smoke exposure in grapes and the resulting wines. The method relies on the quantitation of the glycosidic grape metabolites that are formed from major volatile phenols present in smoke. Using HPLC-MS/MS with APCI, a quantitation method for phenolic glycosides as smoke marker compounds was developed and validated. The method was confirmed to be of sufficient sensitivity and reliability to use as a diagnostic assay. On the basis of phenolic glycoside concentrations, grapes or wine can be assessed as smoke exposed or not, and the relative intensity of smoke exposure can be determined.