This paper reports the production of monoterpenes, which elicit a floral aroma in wine, by strains of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Terpenes, which are typical components of the essential oils of flowers and fruits, are also present as free and glycosylated conjugates amongst the secondary metabolites of certain wine grape varieties of Vitis vinifera. Hence, when these compounds are present in wine they are considered to originate from grape and not fermentation. However, the biosynthesis of monoterpenes by S. cerevisiae in the absence of grape derived precursors is shown here to be of de novo origin in wine yeast strains. Higher concentration of assimilable nitrogen increased accumulation of linalool and citronellol. Microaerobic compared with anaerobic conditions favored terpene accumulation in the ferment. The amount of linalool produced by some strains of S. cerevisiae could be of sensory importance in wine production. These unexpected results are discussed in relation to the known sterol biosynthetic pathway and to an alternative pathway for terpene biosynthesis not previously described in yeast.

The contribution of yeast fermentation metabolites to the aromatic profile of wine is well documented; however, the biotechnological application of this knowledge, apart from strain selection, is still rather limited and often contradictory. Understanding and modeling the relationship between nutrient availability and the production of desirable aroma compounds by different strains must be one of the main objectives in the selection of industrial yeasts for the beverage and food industry. In order to overcome the variability in the composition of grape juices, we have used a chemically defined model medium for studying yeast physiological behavior and metabolite production in response to nitrogen supplementation so as to identify an appropriate yeast assimilable nitrogen level for strain differentiation. At low initial nitrogen concentrations, strain KU1 produced higher quantities of esters and fatty acids whereas M522 produced higher concentrations of isoacids, gamma-butyrolactone, higher alcohols and 3-methylthio-1-propanol. We propose that although strains KU1 and M522 have a similar nitrogen consumption profile, they represent useful models for the chemical characterization of wine strains in relation to wine quality. The differential production of aroma compounds by the two strains is discussed in relation to their capacity for nitrogen usage and their impact on winemaking. The results obtained here will help to develop targeted metabolic footprinting methods for the discrimination of industrial yeasts.

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Under traditional wine-making conditions, this work examines the beta-glycosidic activity of Oenococcus oeni on glycosylated aroma compounds of Tannat wines during malolactic fermentation (MLF) by comparing the changes on selected aglycones liberated. MLF diminished the content of all the glycosylated compounds. The level of the free aroma components was slightly modified by the action of the malolactic fermentation so that the cleavage of the glycosidic linkage by the beta-glycosidic activity of O. oeni did not appear to increase significatively the aglycone contents. The consequences of further chemical rearrangements of the algycones under wine conditions were explored using synthesized glycoconjugates on synthetic medium. Bacteria could also be responsible for the cleavage of aroma glycosylated compounds, being the aglycone adsorbed on polysaccharides or peptidoglycans and was released into the external medium. This hypothesis was studied through the evaluation of a stable arrangement of aroma compounds with polysaccharides produced by lactic acid bacteria. A possible retaining of free-made aroma compounds into the whole cells of O. oeni was also investigated through cell culture analysis. Through the results obtained, we assume stable linkage of aroma compounds with bacterial polysaccharides.

Interest in the use of non-Saccharomyces yeasts in winemaking has been increasing due to their positive contributions to wine quality. The non-Saccharomyces yeast Hanseniaspora vineae is an apiculate yeast that has been associated with the production of wine with good aromatic properties. However, little is known about the fermentation dynamics of H. vineae in natural must and its interaction with autochthonous yeasts. In the present study, we performed semi industrial fermentations of Macabeo and Merlot musts inoculated with either H. vineae or S. cerevisiae. The yeast population dynamics were monitored by plate culturing, PCR-DGGE and massive sequencing techniques. The results obtained with these techniques show that H. vineae was able dominate the autochthonous microbiota in Macabeo must but not in Merlot must, which exhibited a larger, more diverse yeast population. The presence of H. vineae throughout most of the Macabeo fermentation resulted in more fruity and flowery wine, as indicated by the chemical analysis of the final wines, which demonstrated a strong presence of phenyl ethyl acetate at concentrations higher than the threshold of perception and approximately 50 times more than that produced in wines fermented with S. cerevisiae. This compound is associated with fruity, floral and honey aromas.

No abstract

While the contribution of 1,8-cineole to the aroma of wine has been reported, it is a matter of controversy that the vineyards producing such wines are surrounded by Eucalyptus trees, which may contribute their essence to the grapes. However, experimental information presented in this paper suggests that 1,8-cineole can be produced by chemical transformation of limonene and alpha-terpineol, and this process may be responsible for the occurrence of Eucalyptus-like aroma in Tannat wines from vines not grown in the vicinity of Eucalyptus trees. A mechanism for the chemical transformation of these aroma compounds is proposed.

Descriptive sensory profiles of Uruguayan Tannat wines following malolactic fermentation (MLF) with Oenococcus oeni were compared with control wines where MLF was prevented. MLF led to a significant decrease (P < 0.05) in secondary descriptors such as ‘berry fruit’ and ‘fresh vegetative’, as well as a decrease in related tertiary descriptors such as ‘blackcurrant’, ‘apricot’, ‘cut green grass’ and ‘green pepper’. The main differences in the chemical composition of Tannat wine aromas following MLF were (1) an increase of the lactates (mainly ethyl lactate) over the sensory threshold; (2) a significant decrease in ethyl esters and acetates, depending on the bacteria strain utilised (the most significant change was found in hexyl acetate), and (3) a small increase of 4‐vinylguaiacol and 4‐vinylphenol with one of the MLF strains (this change was below the threshold of human perception). We also observed an increase of compounds related to α‐ketoglutarate metabolism, namely: ethyl 4‐hidroxibutanoate and γ‐butyro‐lactone. Differences in chemical composition due to MLF are discussed in relation to variation in sensory profiles.