Food Microbiology

The classical way to make red wine is based on the use of Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeasts during alcoholic fermentation and Oenococcus oeni bacteria during malolactic fermentation. This traditional winemaking methodology produces commercial stable red wines from a microbiological point of view. This work explains the use of a new red winemaking biotechnology that uses the combination of Lachancea thermotolerans and Schizosaccharomyces pombe yeasts as an alternative to the conventional alcoholic and malolactic fermentations. Schizosaccharomyces pombe consumes malic acid while Lachancea thermotolerans produces lactic acid to avoid an unnecessary deacidification in low acidic musts from warm viticulture areas such as the south of Spain. This methodology also reduces some malolactic fermentation hazards for human health such as biogenic amines and ethyl carbamate while it improves the colour and aroma profile.