First Results on the Impact of Preharvest Application of Native Non-Saccharomyces Yeasts on Primitivo Wine Composition

Abstract

This work evaluates how the vineyard-level application of selected indigenous non-Saccharomyces yeasts influences the chemical and aromatic profile of Primitivo wines, focusing on fermentation-derived metabolites and phenolic composition. The traditional method for making red wine relies on the use of sulfur dioxide (SO2) to ensure wine preservation, prevent oxidation, and produce microbiologically stable products. Applying beneficial non-Saccharomyces yeasts to grape surfaces shortly before harvest is a novel winemaking biotechnology aimed at producing wines with reduced SO2 inputs. This approach can influence fermentation outcomes, modulate wine chemistry, and reinforce regional identity. The produced wines were analyzed for conventional oenological parameters, as well as for their phenolic and aromatic profiles. Results showed that field applications of our strains of L. thermotolerans and St. bacillaris positively modulate both the phenolic and aromatic profile of young Primitivo wine produced with reduced amounts of SO2.