Australian winemakers are trying to find the silver lining in the bushfires, touting a new smoky flavoured drop.
Some see the bushfires as a new opportunity for Australia's wine industry, with some winemakers seeing how they can use smoke-tainted crops to innovate and provide something unique to the market.
Small-scale winemaker Samuel Smith has been experimenting with smoking grapes in previous vintages, but he's hoping to make something interesting and that challenges consumers.
"It's a mystery box, which is kind of exciting for us because we can then twist it and play with it a little bit more," he told the ABC.
Adelaide Hills winemaker Brain Croser also said one of the best wines he'd tasted was a Hunter Valley Burgundy from a bushfire year.
"It had a smoky aroma and taste, but it was pleasant. Some people like single-malt whisky which has the same taste," he said.
Mr Croser also said they sometimes use charred barrels to get some of the same flavours into wine.
He sympathised with those who had lost vineyards and property in the devastating fires, but said people had focused too much on the small number of grapes that would be seriously affected.
"It might surprise many people to learn that this year is turning out to be a really, really good year for most wine districts in Australia."
However, Australian Wine and Grape chief executive Tony Battaglene warned smoke affected grapes could potentially extend far beyond the areas that saw fire over the summer.
"It's gone right across New South Wales and right across Victoria, as well as down South Australia, so it's gone very much over the country so it has potential to cause major damage," he told ABC.
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