Isolation and Characterization of <i>Phénolé</i>-Producing Yeasts from Grapes, Domestic Wine-Making Process and Red Wine Products

Abstract

A survey was conducted on the ecological distribution of the Phénolé-producing yeasts in wine-making environments, which included yeasts from grapes, musts, domestic commercial red wines. The Phénolé-producing isolates were divided into 2 groups by phenotypic characteristics. Representative strains from two groups were identified by 26S rDNA analysis. Group I, most of the isolates from grapes were identified as Meyerozyma caribbica. This is the first study reporting the Phénolé-producing M. caribbica. Group Ⅱ, the isolates from grapes, musts and commercial wines, were identified as Brettanomyces bruxellensis, which is a typical contaminants of red wine. It was cleared that strains of B. bruxellensis grew without involvement of the barrel. Furthermore, this is the first study to report the presence of B. bruxellensis in commercial domestic red wines.