Selection and molecular characterization of wine yeasts isolated from the ‘El Penedès’ area (Spain)

• Published in: Food microbiology Vol. 17; no. 5; pp. 553 - 562
• Main Authors: Esteve-Zarzoso, B, Gostı́ncar, A, Bobet, R, Uruburu, F, Querol, A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Elsevier Ltd 01-10-2000; Elsevier
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Fermented food industries; Food industries; Food microbiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Kluyveromyces; Saccharomyces; Spain; Wines and vinegars; Southern Europe; Europe; Spain; Fungi; Wine; Alcoholic beverage; Alcoholic fermentation; Molecular structure; Ascomycetes; Saccharomyces; Physicochemical properties; Wine yeast; Thallophyta
• ISSN: 0740-0020; 1095-9998
• DOI: 10.1006/fmic.2000.0347

A study of the microbiota present during the wine fermentation of five grape varieties from the ‘El Penedès’ area (Spain) was carried out to select autochthonous yeast strains for industrial wine production. In this study we identified members of the genera Candida, Dekkera, Hanseniaspora, Kluyveromyces, Torulaspora, Zygosaccharomyces and Saccharomyces in wine fermentation microbiota. Strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, as responsible agents of the alcoholic fermentation, were considered for a selection protocol. In this work we applied different enological criteria for selection, but previously we have characterized and differentiated Saccharomyces isolates by molecular methods to reduce the number of strains to analyse. Three strains were selected to conduct fermentations according to their characteristics. Finally, using mitochondrial DNA restriction analysis we demonstrated that the autochthonous selected strains are important contributors to the wine fermentation.