Deacidification of Eastern Table Wines With Schizosaccharomyces Pombe

Abstract

Wines made from V. labrusca and French hybrid grapes were produced by using pure or mixed cultures of Schizosaccharomyces pombe and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Wines of the varieties Villard blanc, Vidal 256, Concord, and Catawba fermented by Schiz. pombe were lower in total acidity than wines fermented by Sacch. cerevisiae. The average reduction in total acidity for all Schiz.-fermented wines was approximately 50%. The Schiz. yeast metabolized nearly the entire amount of malic acid, leaving trace amounts or 0.02%. This investigation was also concerned with inoculation of Baco noir and Concord with Schiz. pombe and re-inoculating with Sacch. cerevisiae at one, two, three, four and six days. Loss in total acidity was greatest when the Sacch. inoculation was delayed six days which caused excessive deacidification. Sacch. cerevisiae inoculation at four days appeared to be best in reducing wine acidity to the proper level.