Population analysis of biofilm yeasts during fino sherry wine aging in the Montilla-Moriles D.O. region

Analytical Differentiation of Wines from Three Terroirs Located in a Warm Winegrowing Area Based on Their Volatilome

This research aims to identify aroma compounds, their combinations, and statistical relationships to classify and characterize wines produced in small, defined areas known as "terroirs", which share edaphoclimatic characteristics grape varieties, viticultural practices, harvest timing, and winemaking processes. The goal is to deepen the understanding of the relationship between the terroir and wine typicity. This study analyzed the contents based on enological parameters, the major and minor volatile compounds of the young wines produced in three wineries across two vintages, using the Pedro Ximenez white grape variety cultivated in different terroirs within the same quality zone. Statistical tools, such as Multiple Variable Analysis (MVA) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA), were employed to identify significant differences in the volatilomes of wines. PCA effectively differentiated wines from each terroir and vintage using scores from the first two principal components, calculated based on the absolute concentrations of 12 major volatile compounds and 3 polyols. Conversely, PCA based on the concentrations of 52 minor volatile compounds showed a strong ability to classify wines by vintage year. The minor volatile contents of wines from 2 vintages, grouped into 9 chemical families, provide distinct fingerprints that enable wines to be distinguished by terroir. The results underscore the chemical basis underlying terroir typicity in a production zone within a warm Protected Denomination of Origin (PDO).

Influence of flor yeast starters on volatile and nitrogen compounds during a controlled biological aging

Fino Sherry wine undergoes biological aging carried out by a velum of flor yeast within a traditional dynamic system known as "criaderas and solera". The complex microbiota of biofilm-forming Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains play a crucial role in shaping the distinctive organoleptic profile of these types of wines. For this reason, the aim of this study is to analyze the changes produced by different flor yeast strains in the volatilome and the aminogram of different wines from the criaderas and solera system during biological aging in the laboratory, simulating a flor yeast velum condition at different stages of the system. Results suggest that each strain metabolizes wine differently, finding that depending on the wine, some strains are better suited for the process than others. In addition, it is found that the content of biogenic amines in Fino Sherry wines, previously attributed to malolactic bacteria, varies according to the yeast strain metabolizing the wine, suggesting that flor yeast could be used to modify biogenic amines content during biological aging. Results indicate that the use of selected flor yeast starters in biological aging may be of interest to modulate some parameters during Fino Sherry wine aging.

Influencia de la reducción del grado alcohólico en los vinos de crianza biológica sobre sus características físico-químicas y sensoriales. Primeros resultados

Las Denominaciones de Origen Protegidas Jerez-Xérez-Sherry, Manzanilla Sanlúcar de Barrameda y Montilla-Moriles son de las más antiguas de España. En ellas se elaboran los vinos tipo Fino y Manzanilla mediante una etapa de crianza biológica bajo velo de Flor durante varios años. Estos vinos, que presentan características organolépticas específicas, tienen establecido una graduación alcohólica mínima del 15% (14,5% en el caso de los vinos Finos sin alcohol añadido en la DO Montilla-Moriles).

Los gustos de los consumidores van cambiando y cada vez hay una mayor preocupación por la salud, por lo que la tendencia actual es la de consumir bebidas alcohólicas con un contenido en alcohol moderado. En el presente trabajo, se ha estudiado la viabilidad de elaborar vinos tipo Fino y Manzanilla con un grado alcohólico más reducido. Los primeros resultados nos indican que es viable elaborar esta tipología de vinos con un menor contenido en alcohol, manteniendo la elaboración tradicional y calidad de estos vinos, aunque es un proceso que habrá que seguir estudiando a largo plazo.

Positive biofilms to guide surface microbial ecology in livestock buildings

The increase in human consumption of animal proteins implies changes in the management of meat production. This is followed by increasingly restrictive regulations on antimicrobial products such as chemical biocides and antibiotics, used in particular to control pathogens that can spread zoonotic diseases. Aligned with the One Health concept, alternative biological solutions are under development and are starting to be used in animal production. Beneficial bacteria able to form positive biofilms and guide surface microbial ecology to limit microbial pathogen settlement are promising tools that could complement existing biosecurity practices to maintain the hygiene of livestock buildings. Although the benefits of positive biofilms have already been documented, the associated fundamental mechanisms and the rationale of the microbial composition of these new products are still sparce. This review provides an overview of the envisioned modes of action of positive biofilms used on livestock building surfaces and the resulting criteria for the selection of the appropriate microorganisms for this specific application. Limits and advantages of this biosecurity approach are discussed as well as the impact of such practices along the food chain, from farm to fork.

Wine yeast selection in the Iberian Peninsula: Saccharomyces and non-Saccharomyces as drivers of innovation in Spanish and Portuguese wine industries

Yeast selection for the wine industry in Spain started in 1950 for the understanding of the microbial ecology, and for the selection of optimal strains to improve the performance of alcoholic fermentation and the overall wine quality. This process has been strongly developed over the last 30 years, firstly on Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and, lately, with intense activity on non-Saccharomyces. Several thousand yeast strains have been isolated, identified and tested to select those with better performance and/or specific technological properties. The present review proposes a global survey of this massive ex-situ preservation of eukaryotic microorganisms, a reservoir of biotechnological solutions for the wine sector, overviewing relevant screenings that led to the selection of strains from 12 genera and 22 species of oenological significance. In the first part, the attention goes to the selection programmes related to relevant wine-producing areas (i.e. Douro, Extremadura, Galicia, La Mancha and Uclés, Ribera del Duero, Rioja, Sherry area, and Valencia). In the second part, the focus shifted on specific non-Saccharomyces genera/species selected from different Spanish and Portuguese regions, exploited to enhance particular attributes of the wines. A fil rouge of the dissertation is the design of tailored biotechnological solutions for wines typical of given geographic areas.

Stress Resistance and Adhesive Properties of Commercial Flor and Wine Strains, and Environmental Isolates of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Flor strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae represent a special group of yeasts used for producing biologically aged wines. We analyzed the collection of commercial wine and flor yeast strains, as well as environmental strains isolated from the surface of grapes growing in vineyards, for resistance to abiotic stresses, adhesive properties, and the ability to form a floating flor. The degree of resistance of commercial strains to ethanol, acetaldehyde, and hydrogen peroxide was generally not higher than that of environmental isolates, some of which had high resistance to the tested stress agents. The relatively low degree of stress resistance of flor strains can be explained both by the peculiarities of their adaptive mechanisms and by differences in the nature of their exposure to various types of stress in the course of biological wine aging and under the experimental conditions we used. The hydrophobicity and adhesive properties of cells were determined by the efficiency of adsorption to polystyrene and the distribution of cells between the aqueous and organic phases. Flor strains were distinguished by a higher degree of hydrophobicity of the cell surface and an increased ability to adhere to polystyrene. A clear correlation between biofilm formation and adhesive properties was also observed for environmental yeast isolates. The overall results of this study indicate that relatively simple tests for cell hydrophobicity can be used for the rapid screening of new candidate flor strains in yeast culture collections and among environmental isolates.

Aroma of Sherry Products: A Review

Jerez (Sherry) is a well-known wine-producing region located in southern Spain, where world-renowned oenological products such as wines, vinegars, and brandies are produced. There are several factors that provide characteristic physical, chemical, and sensory properties to the oenological products obtained in this Sherry region: the climate in the area with hot summers, mild winters, and with limited rainfall; the raw material used consisting on Palomino Fino, Moscatel, and Pedro Ximénez white grape varieties; the special vinification with fortified wines; and aging techniques such as a dynamic system of biological or oxidative aging. These special organoleptic characteristics are responsible for, among others, the aromatic profile of the wines, vinegars and brandies from the area, which explains why this is a subject that has been extensively researched over the years. This bibliographic review aims to compile the different scientific contributions that have been found to date, in relation with the aroma of the oenological products from the Sherry area (dry wines, sweet wines, vinegars, and brandies). We have mainly focused on the different analytical methodologies used and on the main analytes of interest.

Rethinking about flor yeast diversity and its dynamic in the "criaderas and soleras" biological aging system

Fino wine is one of the most important Sherry wines and it is obtained through a complex and dynamic biological aging system. In this study, wine and veil of flor samples from fifty-two barrels with different aging levels and distributed in three different wineries from the Jerez-Xèrés-Sherry winemaking area have been analyzed during two years. Some of the wine compounds most deeply involved in flor yeast metabolism were analyzed to take into account the blending effect of this system. On the other hand, veil of flor was analyzed by molecular methods, finding five different species: S. cerevisiae, W. anomalus, P. membranaefaciens, P. kudriavzevii and P. manshurica, being the first time that the three last species have been reported in this biological aging system. Since S. cerevisiae was the vast majority of the isolates, its intraspecies variability was also analyzed by the simultaneous amplification of three microsatellite loci, obtaining nine different S. cerevisiae genotypes, also differentiated according to their physiological properties. Biodiversity analysis showed there were significant differences between the three wineries in the three aging scales, although the overall diversity was relatively low. Moreover, variations in the relative frequency of the different S. cerevisiae genotypes were found to be seasonal-dependent.

Biofilms in Food Processing Environments: Challenges and Opportunities

This review examines the impact of microbial communities colonizing food processing environments in the form of biofilms on food safety and food quality. The focus is both on biofilms formed by pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms and on those formed by harmless or beneficial microbes, which are of particular relevance in the processing of fermented foods. Information is presented on intraspecies variability in biofilm formation, interspecies relationships of cooperativism or competition within biofilms, the factors influencing biofilm ecology and architecture, and how these factors may influence removal. The effect on the biofilm formation ability of particular food components and different environmental conditions that commonly prevail during food processing is discussed. Available tools for the in situ monitoring and characterization of wild microbial biofilms in food processing facilities are explored. Finally, research on novel agents or strategies for the control of biofilm formation or removal is summarized.

The veil of flor's structure, composition and interactions in biological ageing wines

Biological ageing occurs after fermentation of the grape must and it is due to the appearance of a biofilm on the surface of the wine called “veil of flor”. Yeast involved in veil formation are mainly Saccharomyces cerevisiae and they have traditionally been divided into four races according to their ability to metabolize different sugars. The growth of flor yeasts depends on different factors, such as the aerobic assimilation of the wine ethanol, since the medium is deficient in both sugars and nitrogen. Actually, flor yeast metabolism is different from wine S. cerevisiaeyeast, but it hasn't been analysed yet. Thus, the aim of this work is to study the diversity of flor yeast strains and to analyse the composition and the structure of the veil of flor in Jerez-Xérés-Sherry D.O. The results of this work revealed 14 different genotypes of S. cerevisiaestrains using multiplex-microsatellite PCR and these strains showed 8 different biochemical profiles using a similar procedure than traditionally. In addition, mannose and glucose were found in veil of flor complex using UHPLC-MS.

Biogenic amines and other polar compounds in long aged oxidized Vernaccia di Oristano white wines

Oxidized white wines are produced by techniques that provide a barrel ageing which can range from a few years to some decades. This step, characterized by the metabolic activity of peculiar strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast, can affect the chemical composition of these wines and the production of unwanted substances such as biogenic amines. In this study, Vernaccia di Oristano wines from different vintages have been analysed for the first time regarding the content of biogenic amines and amino acids (by HPLC-FLD), and polar compounds (by HPLC-DAD and LC-MS). Furthermore, colour and technological parameters (contents of alcohol, reducing sugars, total and volatile acidities, pH and organic acids) of the wines were also evaluated. Older samples showed dark shades, which may have derived from polyphenols' oxidation while ageing. Some typical ageing products, such as 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural and hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives were found in larger quantities in these samples, as well as the purinic compound xanthine, which was also detected in relevant concentrations. Additionally, as expected, the average of the main biogenic amines quantified in Vernaccia di Oristano was higher compared to non-oxidized white wines, especially in the older samples. Thus, though this content does not exceed values which spoil the quality of the wine, the monitoring of the winemaking conditions is suggested, to further limit the presence of these undesirable compounds.

The Microbial Diversity of Sherry Wines

The principal role of wine yeast is to transform efficiently the grape-berries’ sugars to ethanol, carbon dioxide, and other metabolites, without the production of off-flavors. Wine yeast strains are able to ferment musts, while other commercial or laboratory strains fail to do so. The genetic differences that characterize wine yeast strains in contrast to the biological ageing of the veil-forming yeasts in Sherry wines are poorly understood. Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains frequently exhibit rather specific phenotypic features needed for adaptation to a special environment, like fortified wines with ethanol up to 15% (v/v), known as Sherry wines. Factors that affect the correct development of the veil of flor during ageing are also reviewed, along with the related aspects of wine composition, biofilm formation processes, and yeast autolysis. This review highlights the importance of yeast ecology and yeast metabolic reactions in determining Sherry wine quality and the wealth of untapped indigenous microorganisms co-existing with the veil-forming yeast strains. It covers the complexity of the veil forming wine yeasts’ genetic features, and the genetic techniques often used in strain selection and monitoring during fermentation or biological ageing. Finally, the outlook for new insights to protect and to maintain the microbiota of the Sherry wines will be discussed.