Grapes from the Napa area of California make some of the world's most famous wines.But what happens when nearby fires create smoke that destroys the taste of the grapes?Nicholas Quille is a winemaker, and he did not want to find out.He remembered that when fires came near in 2017, his wine had smoky flavors that most people did not like.So last year, he hurried to pick all of the merlot and malbec grapes he was growing nearby.But he was too late, and his grapes once again had a strange, smoky flavor.The smoke can change the chemistry of the grapes and change their taste.Quille is the winemaker who runs Crimson Wine Group.Instead of throwing away the wine, he worked with Hangar 1 Vodka to make a new alcohol from the smoky wine.He sent the vodka-maker some bottles of wine and they made a new product called Smoke Point vodka.
