Ellipse Analytics Laboratories Announces Smoke Taint Impact Testing for the Wine Industry

National Accredited Smoke Taint Impact Analysis Delivers Support to Wineries and Winegrowers as the Threat of Wildfires and Smoke Continues to Grow

DENVER–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#ellipseanalytics–Denver based Ellipse Analytics announced today its official ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation for smoke taint impact testing by ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB), received on June 21, 2021. Ellipse Analytics passed the rigorous assessment with zero non-conformances and now offers smoke taint impact analysis for the wine industry as part of their scope of accredited services.

Last year’s wildfires burned through 4.2 million acres in California and roughly 1.07 million acres in Oregon, making 2020 the worst wildfire season in modern history with devastating effects on the wine industry.

“There are only a few laboratories that test for smoke taint in the US and the overflow in 2020 left many wineries with extensive lead times or closed out of testing all together. We saw this need in the wine industry and knew our laboratory could help. Now with our national accreditation for Smoke Impact Analysis, we can support with timely and accurate testing that offers clarity and we hope a sense of relief during a stressful time,” explained Sean Callan, Ellipse Analytics Chief Operating Officer.

According to the Insurance Information Institute¹, the 2021 wildfire season is predicted to be severe with wildfires already burning. Most states in the West are experiencing extreme or exceptional drought according to the U.S. Drought Monitor². From January 1 to July 21, 2021 there were about 35,588 wildfires, compared with 29,437 in the same period 2020, according to the National Interagency Fire Center³.

The primary marker compounds linked to smoke taint in wines are guaiacol and 4-methylguaiacol. Unfortunately, there are number of other possible compounds indicative of smoke taint, and there are several possible forms for each compound. At the Basic Panel, Ellipse measures guaiacol, 4-methylguaiacol, and p-cresol, with estimated results provided for o-cresol and m-cresol. In the Comprehensive Panel, a process of acid hydrolysis is used to measure each of the compounds in the Basic Screen, but in their bound forms. This allows customers to understand to maximum amount of each phenolic compound that could be released in the winemaking process.

Ellipse Analytics has developed a membership model in order to guarantee smoke taint testing analysis with a 3-5 day turn around. For more information about Ellipse Analytics Laboratories, Smoke Taint Testing Analysis, and the membership program, vintners and wine grape growers can visit https://www.ellipseanalytics.com/winesmoketaint.

Ellipse Analytics

Ellipse Analytics is the world’s leading analytical chemistry lab for full category testing and benchmarking. The company was founded in Denver, Colorado in 2016 to bring big data solutions to the consumer packaged goods industry. The ISO 17025-accredited lab specializes in the analysis of entire sectors of the CPG space — identifying strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities to differentiate in the market. Collectively the technical team includes three PhD scientists among a dozen professional scientists with expertise in analytical chemistry, biochemistry, statistics, food safety & quality, and public health. The Ellipse team specializes in the wine industry, where Ellipse has tested and benchmarked thousands of wines for analytical markers of purity, superiority, and flavor.

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¹ Source: https://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/facts-statistics-wildfires
² Source: https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap.aspx
³Source: https://www.nifc.gov/fire-information/nfn