As wildfire season approaches, local winemakers are concerned about the potential for more dense smoke.
For two summers in a row, thick smoke consumed the Pacific Northwest. It didn't just worsen air quality, it affected wine vineyards, too.
Freddy Arredondo, the winemaker for Cave B Winery, told me there can be both positive and negative impacts on grapes.
Arredondo he said his winery got through the last few years relatively unscathed, but that wasn't the case for vineyards in Lake Chelan and the Yakima area.
"It can come off as like a little barbecue smoke or a nice campfire, not that crazy campfire that burns your eyes, and when it gets really on the bad end, it can smell like a dirty, nasty ash tray," added Arredondo.
Red wines are more resilient and less likely to be tainted by smoke. Meanwhile, clean, bright whites seem to be more susceptible to smoke particles. I talked to one wine lover in Woodinville who tells me he doesn't mind a bit of smokiness.