Oenological characteristics of two indigenous Starmerella bacillaris strains isolated from Chinese wine regions.

To broaden knowledge about the oenological characteristics of Starmerella bacillaris, the influence of two Chinese indigenous S. bacillaris strains on the conventional enological parameters and volatile compounds of Cabernet Sauvignon wines were investigated under different inoculation protocols (single inoculation and simultaneous/sequential inoculation with the commercial Saccharomyces cerevisiae EC1118). The results showed that the two S. bacillaris strains could complete alcohol fermentation alone under high sugar concentrations while increasing the content of glycerol and decreasing the content of acetic acid. Compared with wines fermented by EC1118 single inoculation, S. bacillaris single inoculation and S. bacillaris/EC1118 sequential inoculation increased the contents of isobutanol, ethyl isobutanoate, terpenes, and ketones and decreased the contents of isopentanol, phenylethyl alcohol, fatty acids, acetate esters, and total ethyl esters. Furthermore, for S. bacillaris/EC1118 simultaneous inoculation, the concentrations of ethyl esters were increased, contributing to a higher score of "floral" and "fruity" notes in agreement with sensory analysis. KEY POINTS: • S. bacillaris single and simultaneous/sequential inoculation. • Conventional enological parameters and volatile compounds were investigated. • S. bacillaris/EC1118 simultaneous fermentation increased ethyl esters.