Use of non-Saccharomyces yeasts in the pris de mousse of Lambrusco. Microbial evolution through alcoholic fermentation and effect on wine volatile profile

Lambrusco is a sparkling wine largely produced in the north of Italy, especially in the Emilia region. The possible application of two non-Saccharomyces yeasts in the secondary bottle fermentation (Champenoise method) was tested in combination with a commercial strain of S. cerevisiae to obtain wines having a distinctive volatile profile. Our results demonstrated that the gradual increase of ethanol content in the pied de cuve ensured the adaptation of Hanseniaspora guilliermondii and Torulaspora delbrueckii at the bottle fermentation, with survival comparable with that of S. cerevisiae, in the order of 6 log units. The simultaneous presence of two yeast species reduced the maximum fermentation rate, without any relevant alteration in the main oenological parameters of resultant wines. GC MS-MS analysis of the volatile profile of wines (46 compounds) highlighted differences in wine made from a pure culture of S. cerevisiae from wines obtained by mixed yeasts. Acetates, esters, and fatty acids are the classes of volatile compounds mostly affected by using different yeasts in the bottle fermentation of Lambrusco wines. This work provided for the first time information about the volatile profile of Lambrusco and suggests an innovative application of non-Saccharomyces yeast in the production of sparkling wines by champenoise methods.