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Fermentation
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Innovative Strategies for the Management of Wine Fermentations: 2nd Edition
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Innovative Strategies for the Management of Wine Fermentations: 2nd Edition

A special issue of Fermentation (ISSN 2311-5637). This special issue belongs to the section "Fermentation for Food and Beverages".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 3822

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Simona Guerrini

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry (DAGRI), University of Florence, Florence, Italy
Interests: wine; microbial diversity; food fermentation; food microbiology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Wine fermentation can be carried out spontaneously by the microbial populations naturally associated with the grapes and the cellar or using selected microbial starters. In any case, the adequate management of the fermentation processes is essential for obtaining quality wines with the desired sensory characteristics. The management of spontaneous fermentation processes can be achieved by exploiting predictive microbiology. In winemaking, mathematical models have been used for monitoring yeast growth during alcoholic fermentation or predicting the contamination of grapes by mycotoxin-producing fungi over recent years, even if the potentiality of this approach in wine microbiology is still little employed. Fermentation management using starter preparations is the most widespread. A careful selection of the strains is required to make this approach efficient. This approach is fundamental for the production of wines obtained with innovative processes, without added sulphur dioxide, with chemical–physical characteristics that make malolactic fermentation difficult, and with high sugar content in the starting grape must or “special wines” like liqueur wines or sparkling wine. This Special Issue addresses and encourages the submission of manuscripts that cover a wide range of novel approaches, solutions, and methods for managing wine fermentation processes.

Dr. Simona Guerrini
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Fermentation is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2100 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • wine fermentations
  • malolactic fermentation
  • winemaking
  • wine quality
  • microbial starters
  • predictive microbiology
  • yeasts
  • lactic acid bacteria

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 2411 KiB  
Article
Indigenous Malolactic Starter Cultures as Innovative Tools to Modify the Sensory Profile of a Wine: An Oenological Challenge
by Elizabeth Naiquen Flores, Gabriel Alejandro Rivas, Andrea Cecilia Guillade, Natalia Soledad Brizuela, Marina Edith Navarro, Emma Elizabeth Tymczyszyn, Lucrecia Delfederico, Carolina Fabiana Perez, Liliana Carmen Semorile, Danay Valdes La Hens and Barbara Mercedes Bravo-Ferrada
Fermentation 2025, 11(6), 337; https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation11060337 - 11 Jun 2025
Abstract
Malolactic fermentation conducted by lactic acid bacteria is essential for enhancing wine’s sensory qualities. Although this process can occur spontaneously through the action of native lactic acid bacteria (LAB) from the grapes and cellar, it carries risks such as increased volatile acidity, consumption [...] Read more.
Malolactic fermentation conducted by lactic acid bacteria is essential for enhancing wine’s sensory qualities. Although this process can occur spontaneously through the action of native lactic acid bacteria (LAB) from the grapes and cellar, it carries risks such as increased volatile acidity, consumption of residual sugars, and the formation of undesirable metabolites like biogenic amines. This study evaluated the oenological potential of three innovative native malolactic fermentation starters (MLFS) on a pilot scale, aiming to offer local wineries cost-effective MLFS with native LAB strains. Alcoholic fermentation of Malbec grapes was carried out using a commercial yeast starter, followed by a sequential inoculation of native malolactic starters formulated with (i) mesophilic Lactiplantibacillus plantarum UNQLp11 and Oenococcus oeni UNQOe73.2, both from the Province of Río Negro; (ii) psychrotrophic Lentilactibacillus hilgardii UNQLh1.1 and Oenococcus oeni UNQOe19, both from the Province of Río Negro; (iii) mesophilic Lactiplantibacillus plantarum UNQLp1001, from the Province of Buenos Aires; and (iv) a commercial malolactic started, which served as a control. Malic acid was consumed by all starters. RAPD-PCR using M13 primer showed the native LAB’s capability for implantation in wine. A sensory analysis revealed distinct profiles for each formulation, despite having been inoculated at the end of the same alcoholic fermentation. These MLFS could replace imports, enhancing the region’s unique terroir. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Strategies for the Management of Wine Fermentations: 2nd Edition)
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15 pages, 2517 KiB  
Article
Microbiota Diversity During Grape Drying and Spontaneous Fermentations of Vin Santo
by Damiano Barbato, Viola Galli, Silvia Mangani, Eleonora Mari, Giacomo Buscioni, Lisa Granchi and Simona Guerrini
Fermentation 2025, 11(6), 310; https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation11060310 - 29 May 2025
Viewed by 461
Abstract
Vin Santo is a passito wine produced mainly in Tuscany. In the traditional production of Vin Santo, fermentation occurs naturally. Only a few reports have explored the microbial ecology of Vin Santo. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the microbial ecology and [...] Read more.
Vin Santo is a passito wine produced mainly in Tuscany. In the traditional production of Vin Santo, fermentation occurs naturally. Only a few reports have explored the microbial ecology of Vin Santo. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the microbial ecology and its impact on the fermentative kinetics in traditional processes of Vin Santo carried out in two different Tuscan wineries. Despite the different systems used for drying the grapes, both wineries showed similar microbial ecology. Non-Saccharomyces yeasts were the dominant microbial population during grape drying in different succession, even though in the end, the dominant species (at different percentages) in both were Metschnikowia pulcherrima, Kloeckera apiculata, and Starmerella bacillaris. The spontaneous fermentations were instead both dominated by Saccharomyces cerevisiae, however in different concentration throughout the process, leading to a different ethanol content—12% (v/v) and 10.8% (v/v) in winery A and B, respectively. In both wineries, acetic bacteria and moulds did not grow. Considering the intraspecific biodiversity of S. cerevisiae populations, the vinifications of both wineries displayed very similar biodiversity indices. No single strain of S. cerevisiae dominated the entire fermentation process. The analysis identified 30 distinct genetic patterns in the fermentations of winery A and 23 in the fermentations of winery B. The work provided an insight into the microbial communities and their metabolomic interactions during Vin Santo production which could improve the management and control of the process. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Strategies for the Management of Wine Fermentations: 2nd Edition)
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17 pages, 2202 KiB  
Article
Specific Point Mutations in the RRT5 Gene Modulate Fermentative Phenotypes of an Industrial Wine Yeast
by Camila Bastías, Yosbany Pérez, Eduardo I. Kessi-Pérez, José Manuel Guillamón and Claudio Martínez
Fermentation 2025, 11(2), 88; https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation11020088 - 10 Feb 2025
Viewed by 885
Abstract
Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a yeast species of industrial importance due to its role in the production of several alcoholic beverages, including wine. During wine fermentation, S. cerevisiae must be able to cope with several stresses, such as limited nitrogen availability; nitrogen deficiencies in [...] Read more.
Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a yeast species of industrial importance due to its role in the production of several alcoholic beverages, including wine. During wine fermentation, S. cerevisiae must be able to cope with several stresses, such as limited nitrogen availability; nitrogen deficiencies in grape must could lead to stuck or sluggish fermentations, generating for the wine industry significant economic losses. A microbiological alternative to this problem is the generation of yeast strains with low nitrogen requirements for fermentation. In this context, it is important to study the natural diversity regarding adaptation to low nitrogen conditions, especially in terms of searching for beneficial alleles with potential industrial applications. In the present work, we validated the impact of specific SNPs present in the RRT5 gene in an industrial genetic background (T73 strain), analyzing both growth kinetics under microculture conditions and fermentative phenotypes in a larger volume. In this way, we were able to validate that these SNPs do indeed have an impact on the growth kinetics and fermentative capabilities of this strain, although the particular effect depends on the type of must used (synthetic or natural) and the nitrogen content (limiting or non-limiting). In particular, one mutation (601A>C) caused slower fermentation kinetics in the nitrogen-limited natural must but did not affect the ethanol produced or the amount of sugars consumed, in addition to producing more glycerol and consuming less phenylalanine, which could have a positive impact on the organoleptic properties of the wine produced and therefore an industrial potential. To our knowledge, this is the first work linking RRT5 to fermentative phenotypes, and the genetic variants validated could have industrial potential for the wine industry. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Strategies for the Management of Wine Fermentations: 2nd Edition)
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15 pages, 2627 KiB  
Article
Wine Yeast Strains Under Ethanol-Induced Stress: Morphological and Physiological Responses
by Elisa Aiello, Mattia Pia Arena, Luciana De Vero, Carlo Montanini, Michele Bianchi, Andrea Mescola, Andrea Alessandrini, Andrea Pulvirenti and Maria Gullo
Fermentation 2024, 10(12), 631; https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation10120631 - 11 Dec 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1732
Abstract
During alcoholic fermentation, ethanol accumulation significantly impacts yeast cells by disrupting membrane integrity, increasing permeability, and reducing cell viability. This study evaluated the effects of ethanol stress on the growth, membrane fluidity, and cell surface morphology of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and non-Saccharomyces yeast [...] Read more.
During alcoholic fermentation, ethanol accumulation significantly impacts yeast cells by disrupting membrane integrity, increasing permeability, and reducing cell viability. This study evaluated the effects of ethanol stress on the growth, membrane fluidity, and cell surface morphology of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and non-Saccharomyces yeast strains, specifically Torulaspora delbrueckii and Metschnikowia pulcherrima. These strains, commercialized by AEB SpA and preserved at the Unimore Microbial Culture Collection (UMCC), were tested for fermentative performance in grape must and grown under varying ethanol concentrations. Membrane fluidity was measured using Laurdan generalized polarization (GP), while Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) assessed cell surface morphology. Results indicated that at 10% ethanol, membrane fluidity increased, particularly in strains able to tolerate up to 16% ethanol, which also demonstrated superior fermentative performance. Less tolerant strains, such as T. delbrueckii UMCC 5 and M. pulcherrima UMCC 15, showed smaller increases in fluidity. At 18% ethanol, these strains exhibited severely altered surface morphology and larger surface roughness values, suggesting increased instability under high ethanol stress, while more tolerant strains displayed better-preserved surface morphology and lower roughness values, reflecting enhanced adaptability. These findings offer insights into yeast responses to ethanol stress, supporting the development of more resilient strains for improved fermentation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Strategies for the Management of Wine Fermentations: 2nd Edition)
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