Exploring future applications of the apiculate yeast Hanseniaspora

As a metaphor, lemons get a bad rap; however the proverb 'if life gives you lemons, make lemonade' is often used in a motivational context. The same could be said of Hanseniaspora in winemaking. Despite its predominance in vineyards and grape must, this lemon-shaped yeast is underappreciated in terms of its contribution to the overall sensory profile of fine wine. Species belonging to this apiculate yeast are known for being common isolates not just on grape berries, but on many other fruits. They play a critical role in the early stages of a fermentation and can influence the quality of the final product. Their deliberate addition within mixed-culture fermentations shows promise in adding to the complexity of a wine and thus provide sensorial benefits. Hanseniaspora species are also key participants in the fermentations of a variety of other foodstuffs ranging from chocolate to apple cider. Outside of their role in fermentation, Hanseniaspora species have attractive biotechnological possibilities as revealed through studies on biocontrol potential, use as a whole-cell biocatalyst and important interactions with Drosophila flies. The growing amount of 'omics data on Hanseniaspora is revealing interesting features of the genus that sets it apart from the other Ascomycetes. This review collates the fields of research conducted on this apiculate yeast genus.

Vitis vinifera Manseng noir, the sister of Tannat. Alternative variety for low alcohol wines produced in Uruguayan conditions

Vitis vinifera Tannat was introduced in Uruguay in 1870 from the Basque Pyrenees, and within several grapevines it became the variety best adapted to our viticultural conditions. Recently, through genetic analysis it was demonstrated that Manseng Noir, in addition to originate from the same region of Tannat, is the only natural sister identified within 2500 Vitis varieties surveyed [1]. Given the small commercial vineyard of this variety in France, after several years we have managed to plant in 2019 the first vineyard outside the Pyrenees in Uruguay. In 2021 and 2022 harvests, its elaboration is achieved with the aim of comparing its wine with Tannat. Results obtained show that its agronomic phenotype, as well as aspects of sanity, acidity, and color intensity are similar to Tannat, but with the particularity that grapes are of moderate ripening, 12.5% of alc., total polyphenol index was 12% lower than the control Tannat at 14% of alcohol. Interestingly, Manseng Noir shows an early smoothness in its tannins that allow to achieve lower alcohol wines, still powerful color and structure but less astringency in the mouth. Its complete genome was sequenced by Illumina technology and comparative genome analysis with Tannat was carried on. Genetic, metabolomic and sensory analyzes comparison with Tannat are discussed in this work.

Proteolytic activity under white wine fermentation by Hanseniaspora vineae yeast strains

Apiculate yeasts from Hanseniaspora genus are predominant on the native flora of grapevines, while Hanseniaspora uvarum is well known for its abundant presence in grapes, it results generally, in detrimental quality effects on wine due to high production of acetic acid. By contrast, Hanseniaspora vineae is better adapted to fermentation, increasing flavor complexity in wines as it has been demonstrated in winemaking practices during the last decade. We obtained a collection of more than 22 different Hanseniaspora vineae strains from which we could detect, by a plating screening method, high and moderate protease activity. In this study, we tested these strains under real winemaking conditions on a Sauvignon blanc white wine must. Results obtained demonstrated that there is an interesting protease active diversity in all H. vineae strains when compared to conventional fermentations conducted by Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Four H. vineae strains showed a decrease in wine protein turbidity, up to three times lower than that observed in S. cerevisiae, which imply a significant decrease in the demand for bentonite before bottling. This attribute of some H. vineaestrains should be very attractive at the commercial level to reduce manipulations and flavor removal in the production of delicate white wines such as Sauvignon blanc.

Impact of Hanseniaspora Vineae in Alcoholic Fermentation and Ageing on Lees of High-Quality White Wine

Hanseniaspora vineae is an apiculate yeast that plays a significant role at the beginning of fermentation, and it has been studied for its application in the improvement of the aromatic profile of commercial wines. This work evaluates the use of H. vineae in alcoholic fermentation compared to Saccharomyces cerevisiae and in ageing on the lees process (AOL) compared to Saccharomyces and non-Saccharomyces yeasts. The results indicated that there were not significant differences in basic oenological parameters. H. vineae completed the fermentation until 11.9% v/v of ethanol and with a residual sugars content of less than 2 g/L. Different aroma profiles were obtained in the wines, with esters concentration around 90 mg/L in H. vineae wines. Regarding the AOL assay, the hydroalcoholic solutions aged with H. vineae lees showed significantly higher absorbance values at 260 (nucleic acids) and 280 nm (proteins) compared to the other strains. However, non-significant differences were found in the polysaccharide content at the end of the ageing process were found compared to the other yeast species, with the exception of Schizosaccharomyces pombe that released around 23.5 mg/L of polysaccharides in hydroalcoholic solution. The use of H. vineae by the wineries may be a viable method in fermentation and AOL to improve the quality of white wines.