(Decanter) - Scientists have developed a means of testing grapes for smoke taint – a vital tool as bushfires continue to threaten vineyards, particularly in Australia. Research commissioned by the Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI) has resulted in a successful way of assessing the extent of smoke taint in grapes and wines, according to an article in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. The method developed by the research team works by measuring the quantity of glycosidic grape metabolites which are created by the major volatile phenols present in smoke.