Wild Saccharomyces Produced Differential Aromas of Fermented Sauvignon Blanc Must

Abstract

Nine Saccharomyces strains, previously isolated from vineyards in Southern Brazil, were used as starter cultures in fermentations of Sauvignon Blanc (SB) must at laboratory scale, to study inter-strain differences in aroma profiles. The molecular profiles differentiated the following isolates from the reference strain (SC2048), which is typically used in wine production: 06CE, 11CE, 33CE, 01PP, 12M, 13PP, 26PP, 28AD, and 41PP. Under the same conditions, each of these strains produced different concentrations and combinations of metabolites, which significantly influenced the aroma of the fermented SB must. Volatile compounds such as octanoic acid, diethyl succinate, and ethyl lactate were associated with the strains 26PP, 41PP, 01PP, and 12M, while strains 33CE, 28AD, 13PP, and 06CE were associated with the production of ethyl acetate and 1-hexanol. Strain 06CE produced 592.87 ± 12.35 µg/L 1-hexanol. In addition, the olfactory activity values (OAVs; we considered only values >1) allowed us to evaluate the participation of each compound in the aroma of the final fermented SB. In conclusion, the selected wild strains are promising candidates for improving the regional characteristics of wine.