Influence of Saccharomyces and non-Saccharomyces Yeasts in the Formation of Pyranoanthocyanins and Polymeric Pigments during Red Wine Making

Abstract

Yeast are able to modulate many sensory parameters of wines during red must fermentation. The effect on color and on the formation of derived pigments during fermentation has been studied thoroughly since the 90s. Yeast can increase grape anthocyanin’s color by acidification by hyperchromic effect (increase of flavylium molecules). Recent studies with non-Saccharomyces species, as Lachancea thermotolerans, described the intense effect of some strains on anthocyanin’s color, and subsequent, stability, by strongly reducing wine’s pH during fermentation. Moreover, selected yeast strains of Saccharomyces have been shown to release metabolites such as pyruvic acid or acetaldehyde that promote the formation of vitisin A and B pyranoanthocyanins during must fermentation. Schizosaccharomyces pombe, because of its specific metabolism, can produce higher concentrations of pyruvate, which enhances the formation of vitisin A-type derivatives. The hydroxycinnamate decarboxylase activity that some Saccharomyces strains express during fermentation also promotes the formation of vinylphenolic derivatives. Some non-Saccharomyces species, such as S. pombe or P. guilliermondii can also improve the production of these derivatives compared to selected strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Lastly, some yeasts are also able to modulate the formations of polymeric pigments between grape anthocyanins and flavonoids, such as catechins and procyanidins.

Contribution of Non-Saccharomyces Yeasts to Wine Freshness. A Review

“…Other information related to the nature and bioavailability of anthocyanins, their properties and industrial applications as well as the formation of pyranoanthocyanins and polymeric pigments has been recently published in reviews [77][78][79][80].…”

Influence of Non-Saccharomyces on Wine Chemistry: A Focus on Aroma-Related Compounds

“…In addition to S. cerevisiae , grape must naturally contain mixed populations of other yeast genera and species, involved, to different extents, in alcoholic fermentation [ 3 ]. In spontaneous fermentation process, the initial phase is promoted by the action of a heterogeneous consortium of yeasts belonging to different non- Saccharomyces species usually characterised by a low fermentative power, while the final step was distinguished by dominance of S. cerevisiae strains [ 4 , 5 ]. In fact, the action of non- Saccharomyces is relevant (predominant) during the first stage of alcoholic fermentation until the alcohol level reaches 4% ( v / v ), when most non-Saccharomyces species can no longer survive [ 6 ].…”

“…Emerging evidence has demonstrated that the exclusive use of S. cerevisiae could result in a sensorial flattening of wines when compared with distinctive aromatic features of wines produced by spontaneous fermentation driven by the above-described yeast consortium [ 9 , 10 ]. Although the oenological potential of Saccharomyces strains has been deeply investigated, there is scarce information related to the impact of different non- Saccharomyces genera/species on the aromatic profile of wines [ 3 , 4 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ].…”

The Effect of Non-Saccharomyces and Saccharomyces Non-Cerevisiae Yeasts on Ethanol and Glycerol Levels in Wine

“…Many reviews have studied different perspectives of non-Saccharomyces/S. non-cerevisiae yeasts for modern winemaking practices, including their influence on different wine quality parameters with an emphasis on traits such as the primary (or varietal) and secondary (or fermentative) aromas of wines, acidity, freshness, as well as specific styles of wines (such as traditional method sparkling wines and red table wines) [3,9,[15][16][17][18][19][20][21].…”