Effect of Aging on Lees and of Three Different Dry Yeast Derivative Products on Verdejo White Wine Composition and Sensorial Characteristics

A study was made of the effect of aging on lees and of three different commercial yeast derivative products of different composition and degree of purification on the phenolic compounds, color, proteins, polysaccharides, and sensorial characteristics of white wines. The results obtained showed that the lees and yeast derivative products can interact or adsorb some of the phenolic compounds present in wines, reducing their concentration. This reduction depends on the treatment applied, the phenolic compound analyzed, and the stage of vinification or aging process. The use of lees and yeast derivative products can reduce the color intensity and the browning of the wines immediately following treatment. The monosaccharide and polysaccharide content of yeast derivative products depends on the manufacturing process and degree of purification of the product, both of which have an influence on wine treatments. After 6 months in the bottle, both the aging on lees and the treatment with commercial yeast derivative products gave rise to wines with better sensorial characteristics than in the case of the control wines.