SACRAMENTO, Aug. 18, 2025 – With wildfire smoke continuing to be a significant threat to winegrapes and wines, a comprehensive new roadmap provides guidance for smoke exposure research and mitigation strategies for the industry.
The roadmap, titled “Following the Smoke Signals: Elucidating the Future of U.S. Smoke Exposure Research,” was developed following a November 2024 workshop at Oregon State University, hosted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) and the National Grape Research Alliance. Workshop attendees – including federal scientists, university researchers, and wine/winegrape industry members – discussed the latest science on smoke exposure, industry needs, and strategies for building smoke resilience.
The 27-page document, authored by USDA-ARS researcher Arran Rumbaugh, summarizes workshop outcomes and highlights five critical research priorities:
- Establishing threshold levels
- Rapid detection and risk assessment
- Atmospheric modeling
- Prevention strategies in the vineyard
- Mitigation techniques in the winery
The roadmap is available on the West Coast Smoke Exposure Task Force website. The task force will be releasing several bulletins that summarize the various segments of the roadmap; the first bulletin is now available via the roadmap webpage.
“Researchers hope that by better understanding the science of smoke taint, the industry can make more informed choices during fire seasons and preserve the quality, identity, and economic viability of American wines,” Rumbaugh said.
About USDA-ARS
The Agricultural Research Service is the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s chief scientific in-house research agency. Daily, ARS focuses on solutions to agricultural problems affecting America. Each dollar invested in U.S. agricultural research results in $20 of economic impact. ars.usda.gov/
About the West Coast Smoke Exposure Task Force (WCSETF)
The WCSETF is a coalition of industry leaders committed to providing timely communications, resources, and best practices to help winegrape growers and vintners navigate the challenges of wildfire smoke. The task force serves as a central hub for updates, education, and collaboration to support industry resilience and informed decision-making. wcsetf.org
Media Contact
Mindy DeRohan, California Association of Winegrape Growers
916-379-8995 / mindy@cawg.org