Oregon smoky wine research gets New Zealand tasters
PORTLAND, Ore (KOIN) — Wine researchers from Oregon asked New Zealanders to help answer a flavor question: What do you think of the wine from the grapes affected by the 2020 wildfires?
Oregon State University Professor Elizabeth Tomasino and her team worked with the University of Massey in New Zealand and sent them wine made from Oregon pinot noir grapes — both smoke-impacted grapes and untainted grapes.
Oregon State research finds some drinkers like smoke-tainted wines
'They know pinot noir very well, but they don't have, say, the experience of having to live through 2020 on the West Coast,' Tomasino told KOIN 6 News. 'We do know in sensory science that consumers can be different from experts. So we really wanted to see a group of consumers what their thoughts were.'
Winemakers already do similar work. But she said the perspective from the average consumer was lacking.
So in New Zealand, 197 people took part in the research study, and 110 liked the smoke-impacted wine. But researchers also found that of those who didn't like it, labels describing a 'lightly smoky wine' boosted their approval.
'People do actually enjoy the wine,' Tomasino said. 'You don't have to sort of be like, 'There was smoke, we can't do anything with this.' It's like, no, particularly at those lower levels, there are people that really do enjoy this product.'
There are more studies planned. Tomasino and her group will look at whether wine consumers have a bias with the smoky wine if they live in an area impacted by wildfires.
They will compare tasting panel results from New Zealand, Oregon and Ohio.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Running for good: Community college president raises money, awareness for students in need
SALEM, Ore. (KOIN) — A marathon-running college president will make his way through Oregon on foot beginning on June 16, totaling over 1500 consecutive miles on his route to all 17 of Oregon's community colleges. Clackamas Community College President Dr. Tim Cook will visit Chemeketa Community College as a part of his Running for Oregon Community College Students marathon program. Chemeketa students and faculty will complete the final mile with him on campus. This marathon is a labor of love in many ways, one of which is a love for the activity itself. In an interview with Let's Talk Portland, Dr. Cook said, 'I've run over 50 marathons, I've been running for about 20 years pretty avidly… but never anything this ambitious.' Not only does Cook love running — he cares deeply about his students. 'For several years I've been concerned about basic needs for community college students,' Dr. Cook said. 'Even before the pandemic I was seeing students that were having problems with getting food, I knew there were students living in their cars that were taking classes. It was just something that had been on my mind.' Funds raised through the ROCCS program go to students facing food insecurity, housing instability, and other welfare challenges. Dr. Cook was inspired by Fernando Rojas, a Clatsop Community College faculty member who made a similar trek on a bike to visit OCCs in 2021, entitled 'Bandit Biking for Books,' in order to raise money to go towards covering textbook costs for students. Cook has taken advice and aid from Rojas in planning this journey. According to a Hope Center survey conducted in Spring 2023 on Portland Community College students, 43% of responders experienced food insecurity, 56% reported challenges to their housing stability, and 18% disclosed not having a place to live at one point during the last year. Financial instability in community college students is an issue not unique to Oregon — according to New America, many students end up abandoning their education due to these challenges. Cook and Rojas are setting examples for what the greater public can do to help the next generation obtain degrees and become successful in the workplace. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Firefighters hope to ‘Fill the Boot' in support of Muscular Dystrophy Association
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Drivers along a busy road near Washington County will notice firefighters with boots in hand. The off-duty crews with Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue are taking part in the annual 'Fill the Boot' fundraiser, asking motorists to donate money to help support the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). Firefighters will be along Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway and Canyon Road, and the on-ramps and off-ramps to Highway 217 in Beaverton between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Friday, June 6. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Miami Herald
5 days ago
- Miami Herald
Shocked driver stops for rare creature on New Zealand road. Watch ‘epic' moment
Though they might look cute and fluffy, bushtail possums are serious threats to native wildlife in New Zealand. After their introduction in the mid-1800s in an attempt to establish a fur trade, possums have spiraled out of control, taking up habitat and spreading disease to the creatures that call Aotearoa, or New Zealand, home. That's why driver Campbell Hutchings nearly sped up his car when he thought he saw one of the invasive animals on the road, according to a June 4 news release from the Department of Conservation. Thankfully, he decided to get a closer look first. 'He slowed down on the road near Ōtanewainuku and was rewarded with a kiwi encounter many New Zealanders dream of,' wildlife officials said in the release. 'In a video sure to tug at on heart strings, his first reaction is shock, followed quickly by a delighted 'It's a kiwi!' as the unconcerned bird meanders across the road.' Officials shared the video of the surprise moment. Hutchings hops out of his vehicle as the bird moves slowly across the road, saying he has never seen one in the wild before, the video shows. 'Epic!' he exclaims. Brown kiwis are the most common kiwi population and are found on the northern island of New Zealand, according to the release. Seeing them at all used to be very rare, but sightings are increasing as their numbers grow thanks to conservation efforts. 'We're at a point where encounters with kiwi are becoming more frequent. Kiwi live in a range of habitats so they won't necessarily stay in a neat patch of bush, they cross the road and enter backyards, it's amazing, but also risky for the birds. It's essential we all play a role in protecting them,' Department of Conservation Tauranga operations manager Kristine Theiss said in the release. 'You can see in this video just how naïve they are — absolutely no idea about roads or cars — so we ask drivers to watch out for them at night in kiwi areas,' Theiss said. 'There's often a yellow kiwi sign indicating their presence in the area.' There are now an estimated 26,000 brown kiwi that have multiple daytime shelters and burrows they use, sometimes in tight vegetation but other times along the edge of roads, wildlife officials said. 'As bird numbers increase, we are calling on our community to slow down when traveling around Ōtanewainuku to protect them from vehicles,' Ōtanewainuku Kiwi Trust chair Lesley Jensen said in the release. The Ōtanewainuku forest is near the northern coast of New Zealand's north island.
