California wildfires threaten grapes with smoke taint

Could Californian wine lovers be finding a touch of ashtray in their 2016 Cabernets? ‘Tis the season to worry about smoke-tainted wines. Because it gets most of its rain in winter, California has wildfires almost every summer. It’s always hot and dry, especially in the interior of the state, so the conditions are always right. And that means the conditions are always right for smoke taint.