Fermented Honey and Manna Ash Products: Novel Ecological Niches of Wine Yeasts

The selection of novel strains of yeasts is still relevant to improve flavour of wines produced around the word. Several food niches have not been microbiologically investigated and they might represent important sources of microorganisms with technological aptitudes, e.g. in wine industry. To this purpose, two novel yeast communities associated with matrices rich in carbohydrates and characterized by low levels of water activity (aw), such as fermented honey by-products (FHP) and “Manna” ash products (MAP) extracted from Fraxinus angustifolia (Oleaceae), were investigated. FHP contain mainly fructose and glucose, while MAP ash is mainly characterized by high concentrations of mannitol, fru…

Use of Hanseniaspora uvarum and a novel strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae isolated from manna ash to produce loquat beer

Technological screening and application of Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains isolated from fermented honey by-products for the sensory improvement of Spiritu re fascitrari, a typical Sicilian distilled beverage

“Spiritu re fascitrari” is a Sicilian alcoholic beverage obtained through distillation of a decoction of spontaneously fermented honey by-products (FHP). The production process often leads to sensorial defects due to the unstable alcoholic fermentation. The objective of this work was to select Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains from FHP to be used as starter in decoction fermentation. Based on chemical, microbiological and technological data, from a total of 91 strains three S. cerevisae were selected for further testing to produce FHP at laboratory scale level. After FHP distillation, the analysis of volatile organic compounds showed a complex mixture of sensory active molecules, mainly alco…

Use of grape racemes from Grillo cultivar to increase the acidity level of sparkling base wines produced with different Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains

The most important oenological characteristics of high-quality sparkling wines are aromatic aspect, taste persistence, perlage, high levels of acidity and low pH. Due to hot climate and reduced rainfall that characterize Sicily region, white grape varieties such as Grillo cultivar cultivated in this area are characterized by very low concentrations of malic and tartaric acids. Grillo cultivar is characterized by an intense production of raceme grapes with low pH and high content of tartaric and malic acids. These fruits possess the chemical properties useful to increase the amounts of acids in the final wines. With this in mind, the present research was carried out to test the ability of fo…

Effects of different yeast strains, nutrients and glutathione-rich inactivated yeast addition on the aroma characteristics of Catarratto wines

Catarratto is one of the most common non-aromatic white grape varieties cultivated in Sicily (Southern Italy). In order to improve the aromatic expression of Catarratto wines a trial was undertaken to investigate the effect of yeast strain, nutrition and reduced glutathione. Variables included two Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains, an oenological strain (GR1) and one isolated from honey by-products (SPF52), three different nutrition regimes (Stimula Sauvignon Blanc™ (SS), Stimula Chardonnay™ (SC) and classic nutrition practice), and a specific inactivated yeast rich in reduced glutathione to prevent oxidative processes [Glutastar™ (GIY)] ensuing in ten treatments (T1-T10). Microbiological an…

Influence of indigenous Hanseniaspora uvarum and Saccharomyces cerevisiae from sugar-rich substrates on the aromatic composition of loquat beer

The demand for unique and exclusive food products and beverages is constantly on the increase. One of the products that mostly evolved to encounter market dynamics in the last decade is craft beer. For a long time, craft breweries have included fruit in beer production to enrich flavour and aroma profile of different beer styles. In this study, for the first time, the use of Saccharomyces and non-Saccharomyces yeast strains isolated from high -sugar matrices (manna and fermented honey by-products) were investigated to diversify fruit craft beer pro-duction, in order to improve the fermentation process and highlight the complexity of aroma profiles generated during alcoholic fermentation. Tw…

Improving the Aromatic Profiles of Catarratto Wines: Impact of Metschnikowia pulcherrima and Glutathione-Rich Inactivated Yeasts

Catarratto is one of the most widely cultivated grape varieties in Sicily. It is an indigenous non-aromatic white grape variety. Despite its widespread use in winemaking, knowledge of the aroma and chemical and microbiological properties of Catarratto wines is quite limited. The influence of Metschnikowia pulcherrima combined with Saccharomyces cerevisiae on the aromatic expression of Catarratto wines was investigated with and without the addition of glutathione-rich inactivated yeast. The substance is a natural specific inactivated yeast with a guaranteed glutathione level used to limit oxidative processes. The aromatic profiles of the final wines were determined through analysis of the vo…

Use of sequentially inoculation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Hanseniaspora uvarum strains isolated from honey by-products to improve and stabilize the quality of mead produced in Sicily

Mead is a beverage produced by alcoholic fermentation of honey-must. The starter yeasts that are commonly used for the alcoholic fermentation of honey-must are oenological Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains. The objective of the present work was, for the first time, to apply yeasts of honey by-products origin to evaluate the influences the taste-olfactory attributes of mead. For this purpose, three experimental productions were set up, which included: (i) single inoculation of S. cerevisiae; (ii) single inoculation of Hanseniaspora uvarum; (iii) sequential inoculation of H. uvarum/S. cerevisiae. Two control trials were performed, using a commercial strain of S. cerevisiae of oenological origi…

Diversity of Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains associated to racemes of Grillo grape variety

ABSTRACT The most important oenological characteristics of high-quality sparkling wines are high content of acidity and low pH. Racemes are late-maturing grapes of Grillo variety characterized by low pH and high content of tartaric and malic acids and, due to their intrinsic characteristics, might represent an interesting technological solution to increase acid quality of base sparkling wine. To this purpose, the use of yeasts able to ferment grape must at very low pH is mandatory for the success of the process. In this work, 261 Saccharomyces cerevisiae isolated from spontaneous vinifications of Grillo grape racemes were subject to intraspecific characterization by interdelta analysis whic…

Use of Different Nutrients to Improve the Fermentation Performances of Lactiplantibacillus pentosus OM13 during the Production of Sevillian Style Green Table Olives

The aim of this study was to evaluate the fermentation performance of the commercial starter Lactiplantibacillus pentosus OM13 with four nutrients (A, B, C, and D) that differed in the following ingredients: starch, sugars, maltodextrin, inactivated yeast, inactivated yeast rich in amino acids, inactivated yeast rich in mannoproteins, and salt (NaCl). For this purpose, six different experimental productions of Nocellara del Belice table olives were carried out. During transformation, the fermentation process was monitored by measuring pH and plate counts for lactic acid bacteria (LAB), yeasts, Enterobacteriaceae, Staphylococcaceae, and Pseudodomondaceae populations. At the end of the produc…