Abstract
The ability of commercial strains of Oenococcus oeni to degrade tartaric acid ester bound hydroxycinnamic acids and the impact on the production of volatile phenols by Brettanomyces bruxellensis was investigated. Of ten commercial O. oeni strains evaluated, only one strain, O. oeni VFO, was able to degrade tartaric acid ester bound hydroxycinnamic acids during growth in Pinot noir wine. This resulted in an increase in the corresponding free forms of the hydroxycinnamic acids in the wine. Because of this, B. bruxellensis UCD-2049 produced significantly higher concentrations of 4-ethylphenol (4-EP) and 4-ethylguaiacol (4-EG) during growth in Pinot noir wine where VFO had conducted malolactic fermentation (MLF) compared to a control wine that did not undergo MLF. Growth of B. bruxellensis UCD-2049 in Pinot noir wines where MLF was conducted with O. oeni strains that did not degrade tartaric acid ester bound hydroxycinnamic acids resulted in production of 4-EP and 4-EG at the same concentrations as the control wine. While wineries must continue to use sound winemaking practices to prevent the growth of Brettanomyces in their wines, minimizing the amount of free hydroxycinnamic acids in the wine will reduce the production of volatile phenols if growth of Brettanomyces occurs. The use of an O. oeni strain that cannot degrade tartaric acid ester bound hydroxycinnamic acids is a simple and practical strategy to help achieve this.
- Brettanomyces bruxellensis
- volatile phenols
- hydroxycinnamic acids
- malolactic fermentation
- Oenococcus oeni
- ©2015 by the American Society for Enology and Viticulture
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