Eur Food Res Technol (2010) 231:771–779 DOI 10.1007/s00217-010-1321-8 123 ORIGINAL PAPER Determination of geosmin and 2,4,6-trichloroanisole in white and red Austrian wines by headspace SPME-GC/MS and comparison with sensory analysis Georg Weingart · Heidi Schwartz · Reinhard Eder · Gerhard Sontag Received: 17 February 2010 / Revised: 5 May 2010 / Accepted: 30 June 2010 / Published online: 21 July 2010  Springer-Verlag 2010 Abstract This paper describes the development and application of a fast and simple headspace solid phase mic- roextraction GC–MS method for simultaneous determina- tion of geosmin and 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (2,4,6-TCA), two main contributors to oV-Xavors in wine. The com- pounds were adsorbed onto a polydimethoxysiloxane (PDMS) Wber at 35 °C for 40 min without prior equilibra- tion, thermally desorbed and analyzed by GC–MS in the selected ion monitoring mode. The parameters for adsorp- tion onto and desorption from the Wber were optimized. This method was applied to analysis of 118 Austrian white and red wines, which were also characterized by sensory analysis. Geosmin was above the limit of detection (0.5 ng/L) in 110 wines (93%) and additionally quantiWed (>2 ng/L) in 65 wines (55%). It could be detected in wines of each oV-Xavor (moldy, corky, damp, musty, rotten, woody, grassy) in concentrations up to 16.7 ng/L and even in 90% of the sensorially faultless wines (up to 6.5 ng/L). On the other hand, 2,4,6-trichloroanisole was detected only in 24 wines (20% of all investigated wines) and above the limit of quantitation (2 ng/L) only in 5 wines (4%) sensorially classiWed as corky; corky and moldy plus other defects; or faultless in concentrations up to 14.3 ng/L. These results show that geosmin is more prevalent than 2,4,6-TCA and that chemical analysis is required especially when other wine characteristic Xavors cover beginning oV-Xavors. Keywords Geosmin · 2,4,6-Trichloroanisole · HS-SPME-GC–MS · OV-Xavors · Sensory analysis · Wines Introduction Geosmin (trans-1,10-dimethyl-trans-9-decalol) and 2,4,6- trichloroanisole (2,4,6-TCA) are major contributors to earthy or moldy [1, 2] and corky, moldy or musty [3, 4] oV- Xavors in wine. Geosmin is introduced into wine by use of rotten grapes (infested by Penicillium expansum, Botrytis cinerea or both) [5] or by contamination with mold in the barrel. The causes of 2,4,6-TCA in wine are also manifold: Migration of 2,4,6-TCA (formed by microbial conversion of chlorophenols used as cleansing agents or wood protect- ing substances) into cork and other stoppers; microbial con- version of chlorophenols used as biocides; and bleaching of cork with hypochlorite, in part followed by microbial methylation of cork constituents [6–10]. Despite the characteristic Xavors of geosmin and 2,4,6-TCA at high concentrations, even experienced tast- ers, though noticing an oV-Xavor, cannot diVerentiate between the two substances at concentrations near the sen- sory threshold levels. Yet it is of importance for wine pro- ducers that concentrations near the threshold of perception are detected and that individual contributors to potential oV-Xavors are identiWed so that the correct counteractive measures can be taken, and the cause of the oV-Xavor can be eliminated in the future. To this end, two headspace G. Weingart · H. Schwartz (&) Center for Analytical Chemistry, Department for Agrobiotechnology (IFA-Tulln), University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Konrad-Lorenz Strasse 20, 3430 Tulln, Austria e-mail: heidi.schwartz@boku.ac.at G. Weingart · H. Schwartz · G. Sontag Department of Analytical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Währinger Strasse 38, 1090 Vienna, Austria R. Eder Federal College and Research Institute for Viticulture and Pomology, Wiener Strasse 74, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria