Grape-specific native microbial communities influence the volatile compound profiles in fermenting grape juices

The impact of native grape microbiota on wine identity is not completely elucidated. In this work, we explored this issue using microbial communities prepared from V. vinifera (Malbec) and V. labrusca (Isabella) grapes as starters for the fermentation of Malbec grape juice. Analyses of early-stage reconstituted homologous and heterologous fermentations revealed that each Vitis-specific microbial starter influenced the volatile profiles of the resulting fermented grape juice. Changes in the relative abundance of the three main non-Saccharomyces yeast species identified (Hanseniaspora uvarum, Hanseniaspora opuntiae, and Starmerella bacillaris) were observed throughout these fermentations, which could explain the differences in their volatile profiles. Growth parameters determined for yeast isolates from these species, obtained from the Isabella and Malbec microbiotas, showed no growth differences in either Malbec or Isabella grape juices. Our findings support the notion that Vitis-specific microbial communities play a critical role in shaping the identity of grape juice fermentations.