Influence of Select Non-Saccharomyces Yeast on Hanseniaspora uvarum Growth during Prefermentation Cold Maceration

This study investigated the effect of select non-Saccharomyces yeast strains on Hanseniaspora uvarum growth and acetic acid and ethyl acetate production during prefermentation cold soak. We tested commercially available non-Saccharomyces yeasts for their ability to reduce H. uvarum growth and acetic acid production during a simulated cold soak in a grape juice-based medium. All tested non-Saccharomyces yeast reduced H. uvarum growth and acetic acid production, with some yeast having a greater impact than others. Following the screening of non-Saccharomyces yeast, we tested 14 different H. uvarum isolates against a selected non-Saccharomyces yeast, Metschnikowia fructicola, and found that all H. uvarum isolates had reduced growth and acetic acid production when grown in co-culture with M. fructicola, with variation between isolates noted. Finally, we evaluated the effect of M. fructicola on H. uvarum during prefermentation cold soak of Pinot noir grapes. Pinot noir grapes were inoculated with a combination of H. uvarum and M. fructicola and cold soaked for six days at 8°C. At the end of cold soaking, treatments inoculated with M. fructicola contained lower populations of H. uvarum and significantly lower acetic acid and ethyl acetate concentrations compared with treatments not inoculated with M. fructicola. After the completion of alcoholic fermentation, wines where M. fructicola was added contained significantly lower ethyl acetate but no differences in acetic acid concentration. These results suggest that adding select non-Saccharomyces yeast may be another method to reduce the risk of spoilage by H. uvarum during prefermentation cold soaking.