2026 WAVE/Ravenholt–The State of Smoke Science: Breakthroughs and Lessons

April 22@8:30 am–5:30 pmPDT

Research meets industry take-aways at the annual WAVE seminar (WAVE stands for Washington Advancements in Enology and Viticulture). This in-person event will be held from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm on April 22, 2026, at the Washington State University’s Tri-Cities campus in Richland, WA. The entire day will be devoted to highlighting recent advances in smoke exposure research. This signature event is co-sponsored by Washington State Wine Commission and Washington State University, joined this year by the West Coast Smoke Exposure Task Force. A wine social will follow the event.

The day will kick off with the WSU-Ravenholt lecture “Clearing the Smokescreen: Progress and Priorities in Smoke Exposure Research.” This keynote is supported by an endowment from Albert Ravenholt, a pioneer of the Washington wine industry. Other sessions include a tasting of smoke-affected wines; sensory thresholds for smoke compounds in wine; atmospheric modeling of smoke distribution and aging; thiol chemistry; prevention strategies in the vineyard; and mitigation techniques in the winery. Speakers hail from USDA, Washington State University, Oregon State University, and University of California-Davis. There also will be a showcase of research through poster presentations.

Dr. Arran Rumbaugh of USDA-Agricultural Research Service is this year’s Ravenholt lecturer. Arran is USDA’s inaugural “smoke scientist.” She is a research chemist whose work focuses primarily on the effects of smoke exposure. Arran specializes in using analytical chemistry to untangle the biochemical mechanisms that drive the evolution of smoke compounds in grapes and wine.

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