Dry red wine making using yeast immobilized on cork pieces

Area of Science:

• Enology
• Biotechnology
• Food Science

Background:

• Traditional wine production relies on yeast fermentation.
• Optimizing yeast performance, especially under challenging conditions like low temperatures, is crucial for dry wine production.
• Immobilization techniques offer potential for enhanced yeast biocatalyst stability and activity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel biocatalyst for dry red wine production using immobilized Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
• To evaluate the fermentation performance of immobilized yeast in clarified and non-clarified grape must at various temperatures.
• To assess the impact of cork immobilization on yeast cryotolerance and wine volatile composition.

Main Methods:

• Immobilization of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Uvaferme 299 on cork pieces.
• Fermentation trials using clarified and non-clarified grape must at temperatures ranging from 0-25°C.
• Analysis of fermentation kinetics, residual sugar levels, and key volatile compounds (GC-MS).

Main Results:

• The immobilized biocatalyst demonstrated efficient fermentation in both clarified and non-clarified must across the tested temperature range.
• Low fermentation times and minimal residual sugars were achieved, indicating suitability for dry wine production.
• Complete sugar fermentation at 0°C was observed, suggesting a cryoprotective effect of cork, and no cork taint compounds were detected.

Conclusions:

• Cork-immobilized Saccharomyces cerevisiae Uvaferme 299 is a viable biocatalyst for efficient dry red wine fermentation.
• The immobilization on cork enhances yeast performance at low temperatures without negatively impacting major volatile compounds or introducing taint.
• This method offers a promising approach for improving wine fermentation consistency and quality, particularly for dry wine styles.