Effect of indigenous S. cerevisiae strains on higher alcohols, volatile acids and esters in wine

Abstract

Higher alcohols, volatile fatty acids, and esters are the most important volatiles and their formation is closely related to yeast strains employed during fermentation. In the present work, the effect of indigenous yeast strains on selected wine volatiles was examined using a highly sophisticated analytical method - comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography. Results of the statistical analysis revealed that each strain could be characterised and differentiated according to its volatile composition: strain Y2 was characterised by 2-phenylethanol and 1-hexanol, strain Y1 was in close relationship with high amounts of 4-methyl-1-pentanol, iso-amyl alcohol, ethyl 3-hydroxypentanoate and 3-methylpentanoic acid and strain Y3 was associated with 1-heptanol, cis-3-hexen-1-ol, β-phenylethyl butyrate, octanoic, and decanoic acids. The selection of an appropriate yeast strain thus represents a critical variable affecting the analysed volatile compounds (wine flavour) not only in a qualitative but also in a quantitative way.

Keywords

• volatile organic compounds
• secondary aroma of wine
• yeast
• comprehensive gas chromatography