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1 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Tests confirm rabies and West Nile virus in Jackson County animals ... Strong thunderstorms, gusty winds in the forecast ... The white band mystery: Did volcanic ash cause turbidity in Emigrant Lake? ... Tests confirm rabies and West Nile virus in Jackson County animals ... Strong thunderstorms, gusty winds in the forecast ... The white band mystery: Did volcanic ash cause turbidity in Emigrant Lake? ... SINCE YOU ASKED Since You Asked: Vintners report little impact from smoke Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Aug. 8, 2015 at 12:01 AM Posted Aug. 8, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News I'm curious what all this smoke will do to the wine grapes in our region. We've been here before, so I'm curious how the smoked grapes performed two years ago. — Carl R., Medford As nasty as the air has been, and as bad as it was two years ago, most of the vineyards in this area have had little or no damage. It doesn't mean that your favorite cabernet vineyard isn't immune to anything and everything settling into the region, but for now, local vintners remain on top of their game. We checked with Michael Donovan, Oregon Wine Board member, president of the Southern Oregon Winery Association, and managing director at Ashland's Irvine Vineyards, who told us many factors are at play. "We always carefully monitor the smoke level, and we haven't seen anything alarming yet," Donovan said. "So far, the duration and intensity of smoke haven't caused many of the vinyard folks to worry. These type of things depend on duration of exposure to smoke." Donovan said wildfire smoke two years ago wasn't detrimental to the industry. "There are many 2013 wines I've tasted from the Rogue Valley that very little impact," he said. "It's really on a case-by-case basis where a vineyard might be effected more than others, but by and large, you cross your fingers and hope you don't have long-term effects. He said the chemical compound that comes into play when smoke settles in is called guaiacol "Guaiacol can accumulate in grape skins that are exposed to very, very severe smoke," Donovan said. "We haven't seen anything like that this year." Send questions to “Since You Asked,” Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by email to [email protected] . To see a collection of columns, go to mailtribune.com/youasked. We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them.   MailTribune.com Writer Posted Aug. 8, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501