In the Var department, where fires this summer destroyed more than 6,000 hectares of land and forced thousands of residents to evacuate, many vineyards escaped direct destruction, France24 reports, citing AFP. However, smoke may have penetrated the grapes and altered their chemical composition.
According to winemaker Grégoire Gibergia from the town of Correns, the full extent of the damage will only become clear during the winemaking process. He plans to process the harvest from his 25-hectare vineyard in separate batches to reduce the risk of product loss. In the worst-case scenario, the production of about 90,000 bottles of wine could be at risk.
Experts are already conducting laboratory tests. As winemaking consultant Clément Prela explained, even brief exposure to smoke triggers chemical processes in the grapes, and the characteristic smoky flavor only becomes apparent after fermentation is complete.
For some wineries, the situation has already resulted in serious losses. Winemaker Lucy Demirjian reported that the fire destroyed 11 of her 18 hectares of vineyards. Until she receives the test results, she is hesitant to begin the harvest, fearing additional costs.
Experts note that wines with a smoky flavor pose no health risk, but demand for such products is extremely low. The industry is testing methods to remove the unwanted flavor, including the use of activated charcoal for white and rosé wines, but the effectiveness of this method is still being evaluated.
The problem of “smoky flavor,” which until recently was considered characteristic mainly of Australia, California, and Canada, is increasingly occurring in Europe as well. As climate change intensifies droughts and increases the number of wildfires, this risk is becoming a new threat to the region’s wine industry.
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