The Combined Use of Schizosaccharomyces pombe and Lachancea thermotolerans—Effect on the Anthocyanin Wine Composition

Abstract

The most popular methodology to make red wine is through the combined use of Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast and lactic acid bacteria, for alcoholic fermentation and malolactic fermentation respectively. This classic winemaking practice produces stable red wines from a microbiological point of view. This study aims to investigate a recent red winemaking biotechnology, which through the combined use of Lachancea thermotolerans and Schizosaccharomyces pombe is used as an alternative to the classic malolactic fermentation. In this new methodology, Schizosaccharomyces pombe totally consumes malic acid, while Lachancea thermotolerans produces lactic acid, avoiding excessive deacidification of musts with low acidity in warm viticulture areas such as Spain. This new methodology has been reported to be a positive alternative to malolactic fermentation in low acidity wines, since it has the advantage to produce wines with a more fruity flavor, less acetic acid, less ethyl carbamate originators and less biogenic amines than the traditional wines produced via conventional fermentation techniques. The study focuses on unexplored facts related to this novel biotechnology such as color and anthocyanin profile.

The Influence of Non-Saccharomyces Species on Wine Fermentation Quality Parameters

“…The main strategies for increasing the color of red wines are based on obtaining higher final concentrations of total anthocyanins or higher levels of the most stable anthocyanins, such as vitisins or pyranoanthocyanins [34]. pH reduction is another strategy used to increase the color perception [6,35]. The latest studies have developed strategies to avoid malolactic fermentation [6,36], whose effect on wine quality is the reduction of color due to increases in pH and lactic bacteria enzymatic activity [36,37].…”

“…Some non-Saccharomyces species may produce up to four times higher concentrations of pyruvic acid or acetaldehyde than S. cerevisiae. The combination of specific non-Saccharomyces species allows the stabilization of wines from a microbiological point of view, avoiding malolactic fermentation and additionally increasing the acidity and color perception [34,35].…”

“…Such aromas are easy to identify in white wines. Newer studies on red wines have proven that concentrations below the fault threshold of 125 mg/L increase the valuable stable color forms, such as vitisin B [35], which improves wine color, while the aroma of acetaldehyde cannot be identified in a sensory analysis. Some non-Saccharomyces species produce lower concentrations of acetaldehyde than S. cerevisiae [56], while others produce higher levels [57].…”

Lachancea thermotolerans, the Non-Saccharomyces Yeast that Reduces the Volatile Acidity of Wines

“…Benito et al [27] investigated the application of L. thermotolerans and Schizosaccharomyces pombe as an alternative to the classic malolactic fermentation in a wine made with Vitis vinifera L. cultivar Tempranillo. While S. pombe totally consumed the malic acid, L. thermotolerans produced lactic acid, which allowed excessive deacidification to be avoided.…”

Modern Technologies and Their Influence in Fermentation Quality

“…Other modern technologies to increase wine color from a microbiological point of view are related to the production of highly stable forms of anthocyanins during alcoholic fermentation. Specific yeasts are able to produce high levels of pyruvic acid that increases the formation of high stable anthocyanins such as vitisin A [1,6] or allow to avoid the malolactic fermentation process [7,8] where color intensity usually gets reduced.…”