The Influence of Yeast Strains on the Composition and Sensory Quality of Gewürztraminer Wine
Franc Čuš*and Mojca Jenko
Agricultural Institute of Slovenia, Department of Fruit Growing, Viticulture and Oenology, Hacquetova ulica 17, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Article history:
Received January 18, 2013
Accepted September 25, 2013
Key words:
Gewürztraminer, monoterpene alcohols, Saccharomyces sp., Torulaspora sp., wine, yeast strains
Summary:
The aim of this study is to evaluate the influence of yeast strains on the composition and sensory quality of Gewürztraminer wine. Three different commercial yeast strains were examined on the microvinification scale. In the wines, the chemical parameters and the concentration of free volatile monoterpene alcohols were measured and a descriptive sensory analysis was performed. Significantly more geraniol and nerol were detected in the fermentation conducted with reference Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain and more citronellol was found in the fermentation conducted with a hybrid of S. cerevisiae hybrid and S. paradoxus. However, more α-terpineol and linalool were found in the wine fermented with a combination of Saccharomyces and Torulaspora delbrueckii strains. The best wine flavour of tropical fruits was obtained using a hybrid of S. cerevisiae hybrid and S. paradoxus, and the best wine quality was achieved with a combination of Saccharomyces and T. delbrueckii strains. The selection of yeast strains for the fermentation of Gewürztraminer must significantly influenced the concentration of free volatile monoterpene alcohols and the sensory quality of the wine. With the selected hybrid of S. cerevisiae hybrid and S. paradoxus or the combination of Saccharomyces and T. delbrueckii strains either a better flavour or overall wine quality than with the reference strain can be achieved.
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