Abstract

Yeast inoculation is a widespread practice in winemaking in order to control the must fermentation. However, the use of indigenous wine yeasts can enrich wine quality and differentiate wine styles. Yeast cream preparation (CRY), recently accepted by the International Organization of Vine and Wine, could allow an easier usage of autochthonous yeasts. This work aimed at investigating the actual Italian wine industry’s attitude towards the available formulations of commercial wine yeasts with attention to CRY. Moreover, this study evaluated the perception of wineries toward indigenous yeasts in both winemaking and marketing viewpoints. Data show different levels of knowledge and use about the available yeast formulations. In general, there is not a predominantly positive or negative participants’ opinion regarding the use of indigenous yeasts. Wineries using CRY (4% of the sample) mainly adopt them as a part of the production in order to compare the wines with the ones traditionally obtained with commercial yeasts. CRY is perceived by some interviewees as a potential tool to increase communication and product differentiation. This survey could have anticipated future trends in the use of yeast formulations, determined by the market demands for diversified, unique, and environmentally sustainable products, that can allow an accessible application of precision enology.

Highlights

  • In winemaking, yeasts are essential for the transformation of grape sugars into ethanol and carbon dioxide through the alcoholic fermentation (AF) [1]

  • A total of 68% of respondents were graduated; in particular, 62% of the participants had the title of oenotechnician/oenologists, 4% had a degree in Agricultural Sciences, 2% received a degree not directly related to the agri-food field (e.g., Economics and Business), and 7% had a high school diploma

  • The results showed that the two aspects having major impact for the choice of indigenous yeast are related to the winemaking: “Use a yeast permanently residing in a certain terroir” and “Get higher quality wines” (r = 0.960)

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Summary

Introduction

Yeasts are essential for the transformation of grape sugars into ethanol and carbon dioxide through the alcoholic fermentation (AF) [1]. The principal yeast species involved in grape must fermentation is Saccharomyces cerevisiae and it comprises a very large number of strains which are selected and commercialized according to their different technological and sensory meaning in winemaking [2]. The inoculation of selected wine yeasts (Saccharomyces and non-Saccharomyces yeasts/local or imported) is a common practice in winemaking in order to improve the fermentation kinetics and leading to a predictable and desired quality in wine production, avoiding stuck or sluggish fermentations [3]. Selected yeast strains constitute, in practice, an effective strategy for avoiding wine spoilage. Winemakers are used to inoculate activated yeast starters which are managed to initiate and ensure completion of AF thanks to their high capability to cope with several environmental stresses [2,3,4,5].

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