Volatile Metabolites Produced in a Riesling Must by Wild Yeast Isolates

Abstract

The fusel oil production of a selected commercial wine yeast, and five yeasts indigenous to musts of the Niagara peninsula was analyzed. An indigenous Saccharomyces cerevisiae produced similar concentrations to the selected commercial strain for each of the four major higher alcohols. An unknown species of Candida produced 240mg of 2-methyl-l-propanol per litre of wine which is 20% higher than the published concentration range in wines and well over the sensory threshold. The higher alcohol production of all other wild strains was less than that of the commercial strain of wine yeast.