There are so many aromas and flavours you can draw from wine. Some are much easier to pick up and to be honest, make sense to have as characteristics of a wine. Fruity flavours like raspberry, nectarines, passionfruit or even floral and herbal tend to make sense. Even earthy tones and smokiness, or butter and vanilla are also things we get used to finding in wine. But there are some notes that can be confusing, to the point that you question if you even want that in your wine? Probably the weirdest wine characteristic I’ve come across is gasoline in wine. I mean, do you really want to be smelling or tasting this in something you’re drinking?
Gasoline is something that you can find in some wines. But is it a good thing, and what does it mean? Let’s unpack this weird wine aroma – where you’ll find it and what it means!
Where does the characteristic of gasoline in wine come from?
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The distinctive smell of petrol is due to a chemical compound called TDN which forms as a byproduct of ripeness or aging wine. It starts in the fermentation process, which is why you might find it in the glass but not on the grape. This chemical compound creates a smell or taste that might remind you of gasoline or petrol. There are many other aromas like this that sound like they don’t belong in a wine, like tar or graphite. They may not be as appealing as fruit characteristics, but everything adds to the overall flavour profile.
The reason you might pick this up in wine is that taste and smell are part of the same sensory process. If you’ve smelt gasoline before when you’ve filled up your car, you might connect the smells in the wine with the smells you’ve already experienced.
Typically you will only find this smell or taste in certain wines. Riesling is the most famous example of this characteristic as well as wines from the Alsatian region in France.
Is it a flaw?
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So why would you want your wine to have notes of gasoline? Does it mean the wine is bad?
Some winemakers and consumers call this characteristic a flaw, but others think it is actually a good thing. It is believed that because the TDN compound is a result of ripe grapes, it is actually a sign of great wine because the grapes were grown in the right conditions.
It depends on your personal preference as not everyone wants this flavour in the wine. Generally, it is seen as positive, but you will have different tolerance for the flavour. However, these sorts of notes can be enjoyable when balanced with fruity notes and acidity of these wines. It can also provide a good backbone for serious age potential in the bottle!
The final word on gasoline in wine
Whether you like it or not, gasoline in wine is something you might find in your glass of Riesling. Don’t be alarmed though! Although it seems like a weird characteristic to pick up, this could be a sign of good wine! However, it’s all down to personal preference. You may not be the biggest fan of this sort of flavour, and that’s totally ok! Wine should be about what you like drinking. If it is balanced with other flavours, gasoline can add to the complexity of a wine. But if you aren’t a fan – no dramas! At least you know the wine hasn’t gone bad!