ACIDIC and DEMALIC Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains for managing problems of acidity during the alcoholic fermentation

In a recent study several genes controlling the acidification properties of the wine yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae have been identified by a quantitative genetics  approach.

Many of these genes showed allelic variations that affect the metabolism of malic acid and the pH homeostasis during the alcoholic fermentation. Such alleles have been used for driving genetic selection of new S. cerevisiae starters that may conversely acidify or deacidify the wine by producing or consuming large amount of malic acid.

This particular feature drastically modulates the final pH of wine with difference of 0.5 units between the two groups. Such extreme strains called ACIDIC or DEMALIC have been compared in several grape juices in order to evaluate their technological and sensorial impact on the resulting wines. Beside routine phenotypic characterization (fermentation kinetics and basic enological analyses), targeted NMR  metabolomic as well as untargeted LC-MS metabolomics have been used for characterizing such group of strains.

These ACIDIC or DEMALIC strains definitively challenge a wide range of industrial starters and provide new tools for managing the rising problem of acidity in the context of global warming change.

Video excerpt from the presentation given during Enoforum Web Scientists (March 13, 2023)

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