Effect of Co-Inoculation of Candida zemplinina, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Lactobacillus plantarum for the Industrial Production of Negroamaro Wine in Apulia (Southern Italy).

Maria Tufariello,Giuseppe Spano,Giovanni Cantele,Francesco Grieco,Vittorio Capozzi,Giovanni Mita,Pasquale Venerito

doi:10.3390/microorganisms8050726

Maria Tufariello, Giuseppe Spano + Show 5 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms8050726

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Abstract

The employment of multi-species starter cultures has growing importance in modern winemaking for improving the complexity and wine attributes. The assessment of compatibility for selected species/strains at the industrial-scale is crucial to assure the quality and the safety associated with fermentations. An aspect particularly relevant when the species belong to non-Saccharomyces, Saccharomyces spp. and malolactic bacteria, three categories with different biological characteristics and oenological significance. To the best of our knowledge, the present report is the first study regarding the utilization of a combined starter culture composed of three strains of non-Saccharomyces, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Lactobacillus plantarum for production of wine at the industrial scale. More in-depth, this work investigated the oenological potential of the autochthonous characterized strains from the Apulian region (Southern Italy), Candida zemplinina (syn. Starmerella bacillaris) 35NC1, S. cerevisiae (NP103), and L. plantarum (LP44), in co-inoculation following a complete scale-up scheme. Microbial dynamics, fermentative profiles and production of volatile secondary compounds were assessed in lab-scale micro-vinification tests and then the performances of the mixed starter formulation were further evaluated by pilot-scale wine production. The above results were finally validated by performing an industrial-scale vinification on 100HL of Negroamaro cultivar grape must. The multi-starter formulation was able to rule the different stages of the fermentation processes effectively, and the different microbial combinations enhanced the organoleptic wine features to different extents. The findings indicated that the simultaneous inoculation of the three species affect the quality and quantity of several volatile compounds, confirming that the complexity of the wine can reflect the complexity of the starter cultures. Moreover, the results underlined that the same mixed culture could differently influence wine quality when tested at the lab-, pilot- and industrial-scale. Finally, we highlighted the significance of employment non-Saccharomyces and L. plantarum, together with S. cerevisiae, autochthonous strains in the design of custom-made starter culture formulation for typical regional wine production with pronounced unique quality.

Highlights

The spontaneous conversion of grape must into wine is a composite process of microbial origin denoted by the consecutive growth of different species of oenological yeasts and bacteria, associated with the grapes and the cellar plants [1,2]
The malolactic fermentation (MLF) is a secondary fermentation process that naturally occurs at the end of the alcoholic fermentation (AF), it being generally promoted by lactic acid bacteria (LAB) denoted by high tolerance to ethanol and pH tolerant LAB
The Oenococcus oeni is presently the broadest species utilized in wine production [4], strains belonging to the Lactobacillus plantarum species have demonstrated that they can be suitable as MLF starter cultures [5,6]

Summary

Introduction

The spontaneous conversion of grape must into wine is a composite process of microbial origin denoted by the consecutive growth of different species of oenological yeasts and bacteria, associated with the grapes and the cellar plants [1,2]. The first stage of the alcoholic fermentation (AF) is performed by several species of non-Saccharomyces yeasts (such as Candida spp., Hanseniaspora spp., and Pichia spp.) and strains belonging to Saccharomyces cerevisiae species complete the fermentation process [3]. The Oenococcus oeni is presently the broadest species utilized in wine production [4], strains belonging to the Lactobacillus plantarum species have demonstrated that they can be suitable as MLF starter cultures [5,6]. Several non-Saccharomyces yeasts are commercialized as oenological starter cultures (e.g., Metschnikowia pulcherrima, Torulaspora delbrueckii, Lachancea thermotolerans, Candida zemplinina, and Pichia kluyveri), suggested for the use in mixture with S. cerevisiae strains [14,15]

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