EFFECT OF MIXED CULTURE WITH TORULASPORA DELBRUECKII AND SACCHAROMYCES CEREVISIAE ON PHYSICO-CHEMICAL AND SENSORY CHARACTERISTICS OF YOUNG WINES

The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of pure and mixed culture fermentations with autochtonous yeast strains Torulaspora delbrueckii and Saccharomyces cerevisiae on physico-chemical and sensory qualities of Feteasca alba and Feteasca neagra young wines, at pilot scale. Yeast strains were isolated during different stages of spontaneous alcoholic fermentation and selected for their potential role in winemaking: 26 strains, 17 Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains and 9 non-Saccharomyces strains, from genera Candida, Torulaspora and Debaryomyces, were evaluated in terms of extracellular enzymatic activity, fermentative and technological characteristics. From these, two Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains were selected for esterase activity, and two non-Saccharomyces strains, Torulaspora delbrueckii species were selected for ss-glucosidase and esterase activity. Different yeast strains influenced the physicochemical characteristics of the wines. The sensory qualities of the young wines produced with mixed cultures were positively influenced.