Presentation Details
| Subthreshold Modulation of Varietal Identification by 1, 1, 6-Trimethyl-1, 2-Dihydronaphthalene Under Controlled Olfactory Delivery Hansheng Chen, Quinlin Wu, Terry Acree. Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA |
Abstract
Context: Odor mixture perception is shaped by nonlinear interactions among component odorants, such that compounds below explicit recognition thresholds may influence categorical judgments. This study examined whether 1,1,6-trimethyl-1,2-dihydronaphthalene (TDN), a compound associated with Riesling aroma, modulates varietal identification when added to Chardonnay at sub- and near-threshold concentrations. Method: Using a computer-controlled sniff olfactometer, approximately 15 participants were tested in a forced-choice double blind screening followed by a perceptual task without explicit training or feedback. Screening assessed basic varietal discrimination ability under identical delivery conditions. In the main task, Chardonnay stimuli were systematically supplemented with nine concentrations of 1,1,6-trimethyl-1,2-dihydronaphthalene (TDN), spanning subthreshold to suprathreshold levels. TDN was prepared in a polyethylene glycol (PEG 400) carrier and diluted in with water to ensure precise concentration control and consistent odor delivery. On each trial, participants performed a binary varietal identification judgment (“Riesling” vs. “Not Riesling”). Choice behavior, confidence, and reaction time were recorded to evaluate dose-dependent shifts in perceptual categorization. Results: When the added TDN concentration in the headspace of no-oak Chardonnay wine was at or below its threshold subjects more frequently identified it as Riesling than not. Above the TDN threshold the chardonnay headspace was not identified as “not-Riesling” but identified as “Petrol” smell. TDN in Riesling seems to act as a “silent note” as described by Xu in 2023.
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