Changes in aroma compounds of pale dry sherry wines ("Fino") subjected to biological aging by means of two strains of the "flor" film yeasts Saccharomyces cerevisiae races capensis and bayanus were studied. The results were subjected to a multifactor analysis of variance. For the compounds showing a dependence at the p < 0.01 level simultaneously with the yeast strain and aging time, a principal component analysis was performed, accounting for 92.89% of the overall variance for the first component. This component was mainly defined by acetaldehyde, l,l-diethoxyethane, and acetoin, which in high concentrations are typical of aged sherry wines, contributing strongly to their sensory properties. The strain of S. cerevisiae race bayanus was more suitable for the biological aging, mainly as a result of the faster production of the three compounds mentioned above. Therefore, the bayanus strain could be used for endowing more rapidly aged sherry wines.
