Climate Changes and Food Quality: The Potential of Microbial Activities as Mitigating Strategies in the Wine Sector

Abstract

Climate change threatens food systems, with huge repercussions on food security and on the safety and quality of final products. We reviewed the potential of food microbiology as a source of biotechnological solutions to design climate-smart food systems, using wine as a model productive sector. Climate change entails considerable problems for the sustainability of oenology in several geographical regions, also placing at risk the wine typicity. The main weaknesses identified are: (i) The increased undesired microbial proliferation; (ii) the improved sugars and, consequently, ethanol content; (iii) the reduced acidity and increased pH; (iv) the imbalanced perceived sensory properties (e.g., colour, flavour); and (v) the intensified safety issues (e.g., mycotoxins, biogenic amines). In this paper, we offer an overview of the potential microbial-based strategies suitable to cope with the five challenges listed above. In terms of microbial diversity, our principal focus was on microorganisms isolated from grapes/musts/wines and on microbes belonging to the main categories with a recognized positive role in oenological processes, namely Saccharomyces spp. (e.g., Saccharomyces cerevisiae), non-Saccharomyces yeasts (e.g., Metschnikowia pulcherrima, Torulaspora delbrueckii, Lachancea thermotolerans, and Starmerella bacillaris), and malolactic bacteria (e.g., Oenococcus oeni, Lactobacillus plantarum).

Multi-Product Lactic Acid Bacteria Fermentations: A Review

“…Recently, circular bioeconomy emerged, and it is expected to continually evolve, driven by sustainability challenges, e.g., expanding population, resource depletion, and climate change [148]. Its concurrence with technological processes, in addition to economic and environmental assessments, strongly motivates the industry to consider bio-based chemical production as an attractive area for investment.…”

“…Its concurrence with technological processes, in addition to economic and environmental assessments, strongly motivates the industry to consider bio-based chemical production as an attractive area for investment. In concordance with this, biorefineries should integrate processes to facilitate the complete fractionation and the valorization of all biomass components [148,149]. The creation of multi-product integrated processes is a key aspect to favor the research, development, and industrial implementation.…”

Microbial Resources as a Tool for Enhancing Sustainability in Winemaking

“…In this regard, one of the aspects of a two-way relationship between microorganisms and climate change in winemaking has been recently addressed and reviewed: the microbial potential as an adaptation strategy for the effects of climate change [8][9][10]. The abovementioned papers described the potential of pro-technological microbes as agents capable of mitigating the negative features of the evolving climatic influence (e.g., microbial solutions to reduce ethanol content, improve organic acids content, and reduce pH).…”

Selection of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Starter Strain for Merwah Wine

“…Unfortunately, in the last few years, climate change phenomena associated to global warming have had both direct and indirect effects on agricultural productivity, which favors a greater use of pesticides that affects the microbial diversity and therefore can have an influence on spontaneous fermentation [5,6].…”