1,1,6-Trimethyl-1,2-dihydronaphthalene Content of Riesling Wines in Hungary

1,1,6-Trimethyl-1,2-dihydronaphthalene (TDN) is known to give a petrol note when smelling and tasting wine, which is most pronounced in Riesling varieties. Its increasing concentration has been linked to climate change. In the present work, a gas chromatographic method was used to quantify free TDN in "Italian Riesling", "Rhine Riesling", and "Kéknyelű" wines from Hungary. From the vintages 2010 to 2020, 39 bottles of wine from different wine regions were evaluated by instrumental analysis and sensory evaluation. Our aim is to determine the extent to which the Riesling wines in Hungary show a petrol character. The other objective was a comparison of sorts to see if there is a difference in TDN production potential between Italian Riesling and Rhine Riesling. We also aimed to clarify the question whether the Hungarian variety Kéknyelű is also capable of developing a petrol character. The wines we tested were corked and screw-locked. This allowed us to compare the difference in TDN concentration variation over time between the two closure methods.