Influence of sequential yeast mixtures on wine fermentation

The use of Pichia fermentans in pure cultures and sequential mixtures with Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been studied to improve the aromatic compounds and characteristics of a wine. P. fermentans has proved to be a good starter strains for must fermentation in the winemaking industry. It has shown the same level of sulphur tolerance and the same growth rate as S. cerevisiae. We have demonstrated that only 2 days of must fermentation with P. fermentans in sequential mixtures are enough to increase the following compounds in the wine both qualitatively and quantitatively: acetaldehyde, ethyl acetate, 1-propanol, n-butanol, 1-hexanol, ethyl caprilate, 2,3-butanediol and glycerol. Maintaining this non-Saccharomyces strain in contact with the must for longer periods quantitatively increases the flavour composition. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.