10 November 2026
As we start another summer in Australia, it’s time to start thinking about plans for dealing with the possibility of bushfires and smoke. This eBulletin provides a reminder of the resources available to support growers and winemakers preparing for and managing smoke events.
Resources available on bushfires and smoke taint
- AWRI’s smoke taint page provides a comprehensive collection of resources on bushfires and smoke taint, including information on sampling, testing, interpretation of results, sensory impact and mitigation options.
- Wine Australia’s website provides additional resources on fires and smoke, including case studies and podcasts.
- State associations and Departments of Primary Industries have resources with specific information relevant to their state:
Heatwave and bushfire weather tools
A number of agencies, publicly available sites and commercial organisations provide tools for tracking heatwaves, fires and air quality measures (including smoke):
- BOM heatwave forecasts
- NASA fire information for resource management system (FIRMS) – active fire event locations
- Sentinel bushfire hotspots live interactive map
- Wine Industry Smoke Detectors (WISDs)
- AirRater app.
It is recommended that you download the app for your local state fire and emergency alert system for fire risk warning systems and alerts on fires in progress.
In vineyard monitoring
- Wine Australia – funded research has resulted in a network of in-field smoke monitors (Wine Industry Smoke Detectors – WISDs) that can provide a smoke taint risk rating throughout the season and in real time. These are now being used commercially and can be explored here.
Grape testing
- AWRI recommends that sampling of grapes for smoke testing be conducted around three weeks before harvest, to allow enough time for transport of grapes to a testing facility and for the analytical testing of grapes. Provided the same analytical methods are used, results can be compared to AWRI’s comprehensive background database of smoke marker compounds to assist with interpretation. The publicly available database now contains data for 21 grape varieties grown in Australia.
- Pre-veraison grapes or leaf samples should not be tested, because there is no background database for these samples to support results interpretation.
- All results from testing by Affinity Labs (AWRI’s commercial arm) include graphical representations of the results in relation to the background levels database, to assist with interpretation. See this ‘Ask the AWRI’ article for more information.
- Affinity labs is currently the only available laboratory offering a commercial smoke analysis testing service. The AWRI helpdesk is available for general advice and interpretation of Affinity labs testing results.
Capacity to deal with a significant smoke event
- If a major smoke event occurs, AWRI will work with Wine Australia, stakeholders and regional associations to share the most relevant technical information and optimise sample collection and transport.
- Question & answer events can be scheduled in affected regions, where needed, in consultation with local regional associations. These will most likely be delivered online or in a hybrid format.
- In-region sample preparation can be supported to speed up turnaround times for testing. Please contact the AWRI helpdesk for advice.
- Affinity Labs has increased its smoke testing capability since 2020 and will quickly ramp up analysis capability if a major smoke event occurs.
For more information or assistance with planning for future smoke events, please contact the AWRI helpdesk on helpdesk@awri.com.au or 08 8313 6600.
For more information on Wine Industry Smoke Detectors (WISDs) please contact Wine Australia’s Scott Sharland on scott.sharland@wineaustralia.com
AWRI’s eBulletin is supported by Wine Australia, with levies from Australia’s grapegrowers and winemakers and matching funds from the Australian Government.
