[Trehalose, the principle disaccharide of wine]

By gas chromatography of trimethylsilylated derivatives of sugars, trehalose has been shown to be the main disaccharide in wines; its amount can reach 600 mg/l. Other disaccharides identified (sucrose, isomaltose, lactose and turanose) are present in small amounts, seldom above 50 mg/l, sometimes below 5 mg/l. Traces of melibiose and gentiobiose are possible. Conditions of trehalose formation by yeast during fermentation are described. Also technological applications of these results are discussed.