By Sophia Busam
Several compounding issues affect the wine industry today. First, more frequent and widespread wildfires are causing a surge in ‘smoke-tainted grapes.’ Smoke taint refers to the undesirable aroma of wines produced from grapes exposed to wildfire smoke.1 The culprits of the aroma are volatile phenols, which are airborne compounds created by burning wood and are capable of traveling significant distances.2 The phenols do not impact the taste or smell of the grape itself because they are transformed by the fruit’s enzymes. However, the yeasts used in wine fermentation can sometimes regenerate them, posing a risk to the wine industry.3 It’s difficult to predict which grapes are impacted and more research is being done to better understand the problem.
Additionally, with the pandemic, demand for wine skyrocketed but has since fallen off. This phenomenon has caused a supply dynamic that creates frictions within the wine industry. In general, it takes 4-5 years before the plants begin to bear fruit. Now that consumers are drinking less wine than before, growers and producers are left with an excess supply of product and a shortage of contracts.4 Some have even started ripping up vineyards and destroying product to lessen the negative economic impact.5
Yet, despite these challenges, there have been exciting new product developments to minimize this waste.
A New Kind of Raisin
Did you know that most raisins come from a singular type of grape variety known as Thompson seedless? It’s probably the flavor you recall when you think about the last raisin you had. Conventional raisins are more monotone in taste, offer limited nutritional value, and often sun-dried on the ground and take on some caramelized notes from sunburn.
Vine dried raisins leverage different grape varieties, allowing for new flavor profiles.6 They also follow a gentler drying process, enjoying shade from the canopy and requiring less manual intervention. This process concentrates the original flavors of the grape and extends shelf-life by preventing oxidation of the fruits. These vine dried grapes introduce more flavor complexity into a traditional snack and open up another market for grapes, including wine grapes.
Rescuing Smoke-Tainted Grapes
Companies like the Wine RayZyn Company have taken it one step further. They upcycle both excess supply and smoke-tainted grapes unable to be used for wine and transform them into antioxidant-rich Wine Raisins®. Flavors include Chardonnay, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon – transforming some of your favorite wine varietals into your new favorite snacks. They also offer RayZyns in confection form, coated in greek yogurt, dark chocolate, and sea salt caramel. They can be enjoyed as a stand alone snack or as a versatile ingredient; a perfect addition to salads, cheese boards, or baked goods.
Wine grapes have a few differences from table grapes. Notably, they are smaller in size, have thicker skin, higher sugar content, more concentrated flavor and seeds. They are also higher in fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and calcium, in part because of the added crunch from the seeds. RayZyn’s proprietary and patented technology accelerates what happens in nature by dehydrating the grapes on the vine, allowing the food matrix to remain intact and enhancing bioavailability.
This new market reduces some of the risk for grape growers, providing a new channel for their supply. Wine RayZyn Co. is helping to reduce food waste and provide a solution for farmers who do not have an alternative contract for their grapes. They have already helped to harvest over 100 tons of Cabernet Sauvignon that was unusable for wine production.
Interested in learning more about how to derisk supply chains and drive innovation with value-added solutions? Reach out to us here.
Sources
- https://www.wineaustralia.com/getmedia/be15194e-0e9f-466e-bc7e-2171d635ed18/Final-Report-RD-05-02-3 ↩︎
- https://www.wineenthusiast.com/culture/wine/wine-science-smoke-taint/?srsltid=AfmBOopEFT_p3nEWP3xrPzzvfXLGICQQ_xK53OBxjHVar71TzpIdNO4Z ↩︎
- https://beyond.ubc.ca/wildfire-smoke-wine/ ↩︎
- https://www.meiningers-international.com/wine/insights-wine/us-demand-drops-california-worries-about-excess-grapes ↩︎
- https://archive.md/Iy0Kp ↩︎
- https://californiagrown.org/blog/raisins/ ↩︎