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

Abstract

In the past, some microbiological studies have considered most non-Saccharomyces species to be undesirable spoilage microorganisms. For several decades, that belief made the Saccharomyces genus the only option considered by winemakers for achieving the best possible wine quality. Nevertheless, in recent decades, some strains of non-Saccharomyces species have been proven to improve the quality of wine. Non-Saccharomyces species can positively influence quality parameters such as aroma, acidity, color, and food safety. These quality improvements allow winemakers to produce innovative and differentiated wines. For that reason, the yeast strains Torulaspora delbrueckii, Lachancea thermotolerans, Metschnikowia pulcherrima, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, and Pichia kluyveri are now available on the market. Other interesting species, such as Starmerella bacillaris, Meyerozyma guilliermondii, Hanseniospora spp., and others, will probably be available in the near future.

Influence of Nutrient Supplementation on Torulaspora Delbrueckii Wine Fermentation Aroma

“…In the last few decades, several researchers have focused on characterizing the oenological potential of non-Saccharomyces yeasts [1][2][3]. Non-Saccharomyces species can contribute substantially to the quality of wines.…”

Climate Changes and Food Quality: The Potential of Microbial Activities as Mitigating Strategies in the Wine Sector

“…Yeasts are responsible for alcoholic fermentation (AF) and more generally, for biochemical changes linked to the chemical transformation of must obtained from grapevine crushing in wine [9][10][11]. Among oenological yeasts, the following categories can be found: (i) Yeast belonging to the Saccharomyces genera, and particularly to the Saccharomyces cerevisiae species, which are mainly responsible for alcoholic fermentation in wine [10][11][12]; and (ii) the heterogeneous category of the so-called non-Saccharomyces yeasts [10,11,13]. Within this complex category, we can find both protechnological species/strains [13,14] and spoilage organisms [15,16].…”

Modern Technologies and Their Influence in Fermentation Quality

“…Since the beginning of enology and fermentation research, wine quality has been parametrized from a chemical and sensory point of view. The main chemical compounds employed nowadays to parameterize the quality of wine or other fermented beverages are acids, polyphenols, volatile particles, and polysaccharide compounds [1]. All these chemical compounds directly influence sensory parameters commonly perceived by consumers such as general acidity, variety character, aroma quality, structure, and overall impression [1].…”

“…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.…”

“…Although traditionally some non-Saccharomyces species have been considered spoilage microorganisms [2]. The use of some specific non-Saccharomyces species allow to control and to improve several wine quality parameters [1,12]. The most popular ones are Torulaspora delbrueckii [13], Lachancea thermotolerans [14][15][16], Metschnikowia pulcherrima [12,17], Schizosaccharomyces pombe [18], Hanseniaspora uvarum [10] and Pichia kluyveri [12].…”