Isolation, identification and oenological characterization of non-Saccharomyces yeasts in a Mediterranean island

Abstract

We isolated, identified and characterized yeast strains from grapes, and their fermented musts, sampled in the small island of Linosa, where there are no wineries and therefore the possibility of territory contamination by industrial strains is minimal. By traditional culture-dependent methods, we isolated 3805 colonies, distinguished by molecular methods in 17 different species. 544 isolates were analysed for the main oenological characteristics such as fermentative vigor with and without sulphites, sugar consumption, and production of alcohol, volatile acidity, hydrogen sulphide, glycerol and β-glucosidase. This analysis identified Kluyveromyces marxianus (seldomly used in winemaking) as the most interesting candidate yeast for the production of innovative wines. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.