Comparison between non-Saccharomyces yeasts for the production of Nero d’Avola wine

Abstract

Wine production with non-Saccharomyces yeasts is getting larger application due to the positive impact of these yeasts on wine composition. Previous studies showed notably differences in chemical composition of Merlot wines obtained with Torulaspora delbrueckii [1]. Similarly, Lachancea thermotolerans led to produce Tempranillo wines with lower ethanol content and enhanced wine structure [2]. This study investigated the chemical composition and sensory attributes of Nero d’Avola wines produced by sequential inoculum with T. delbrueckii (TD), Metschnikowia pulcherrima (MP) and L. thermotolerans (LT). Four batches of Nero d’Avola grape were collected in three different areas of Sicily (Palermo, Catania, Caltanissetta) in harvest 2024 and vinified separately. The must fermentation was carried out with sequential inoculum of non-Saccharomyces starter yeasts and S. cerevisiae, the latter being inoculated 48 hours after the non-Saccharomyces strains. Microvinifications with maceration were performed monitoring the microbial population during the alcoholic fermentation (AF), every day up to day 5th, and every two days till the end of AF. Once AF was completed, the experimental wines were racked, stabilized, and bottled. The wines were characterised for general chemical parameters (residual sugars, titratable acidity, acetic acid, malic acid, lactic acid, acetaldehyde, glycerol), flavonoids and anthocyanins, colour index, monomers (vanillin index) and tannins (methylcellulose index). The sensory analysis and the aroma profiles were also assessed. The sugar consumption during the first two days of AF was higher for TD and LT in comparison to MP. As expected, the sugar consumption rate increased when the S. cerevisiae strain was inoculated in all the winemaking conditions adopted. The wines obtained with LT showed the highest amounts of lactic acid as well as, in most of the cases, of acetic acid. Differences of phenolic composition were also revealed with higher content of flavonoids and anthocyanins, and lower content of monomers in wines produced with MP and TD. These wines showed also a higher colour intensity in most of the cases. From the sensory point of view, the descriptors mostly affected by the investigated non-Saccharomyces strains were ‘ripe fruits’ and ‘floral’ for the olfactory sensations, ‘body’ and ‘sour’ for the mouthfeel sensations and ‘floral’ for aftertaste sensations. The study provides further evidences of the impact of non-Saccharomyces yeasts on wine composition and their possible use for the differentiation of the Nero d’Avola style.

Funding

InnoNDA project is funded by Regione Sicilia, PROGRAMMA DI SVILUPPO RURALE SICILIA 2014-2022, SOTTOMISURA 16.1 “Sostegno per la costituzione e la gestione dei gruppi operativi del PEI in materia di produttività e sostenibilità dell’agricoltura”.

References

[1] Hranilovic, A., Albertin, W., Capone, L. D., Gallo A., Grbin, R. P., Danner, L., Bastian, E.P. S., Masneuf-Pomerade, I., Coulon, J., Bely, M., Jiranek, V. (2021). Food Chem., 349, 129015.

[2] Belda, I., Navascués, E., Marquina, D., Santos, A., Calderon, F., Benito, S. (2014). Appl Microbiol. Biotechnol., 99, 1911-1922.