The Influence of Yeast Strains on the Composition and Sensory Quality of Gewurztraminer Wine

The aim of this study is to evaluate the influence of yeast strains on the composition and sensory quality of Gewurztraminer wine. Three different commercial yeast strains were examined on the microvinification scale. In the wines, the chemical parameters and the concentration of free volatile monoterpene alcohols were measured and a descriptive sensory analysis was performed. Significantly more geraniol and nerol were detected in the fermentation conducted with reference Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain and more citronellol was found in the fermentation conducted with a hybrid of S. cerevisiae hybrid and S. paradoxus. However, more a-terpineol and linalool were found in the wine fermented with a combination of Saccharomyces and Torulaspora delbrueckii strains. The best wine flavour of tropical fruits was obtained using a hybrid of S. cerevisiae hybrid and S. paradoxus, and the best wine quality was achieved with a combination of Saccharomyces and T. delbrueckii strains. The selection of yeast strains for the fermentation of Gewurztraminer must significantly influenced the concentration of free volatile monoterpene alcohols and the sensory quality of the wine. With the selected hybrid of S. cerevisiae hybrid and S. paradoxus or the combination of Saccharomyces and T. delbrueckii strains either a better flavour or overall wine quality than with the reference strain can be achieved.