S. 1042: Smoke Exposure Research Act

This bill directs the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) to conduct research relating to smoke exposure and wine grapes. This research must be done in coordination with land-grant colleges and universities that are located in California, Oregon, and Washington and have researched the effects of smoke exposure on viticulture and enology operations and practices.

Specifically, ARS must

• conduct research to identify the compounds responsible for smoke taint,
• conduct research to establish standard methodologies for sampling and testing smoke-exposed wine grapes and smoke-affected wines,
• establish a reliable database of background levels of smoke taint compounds that occur naturally in wine grapes,
• develop risk assessment tools or mitigation methods to reduce or eliminate smoke taint, and
• study compounds that can act as a barrier between wine grapes and smoke compounds.

Written by the Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress.