Quality improvement of jujube wine through mixed fermentation with Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Bacillus licheniformis

Routine analysis, electronic sensory methods, and HS-SPME-GC-MS were used to evaluate the effect of S. cerevisiae and S. cerevisiae + Bacillus licheniformis on the quality of jujube wine. The results show that all wine samples showed significant differences in color, taste, amino acids, organic acids, and aroma (p < 0.05), while the color quality of co-fermented jujube wine was better. On the sensory scale, co-fermentation improved the taste complexity of jujube wine with a unique flavor and typical aroma. HS-SPME-GC-MS analysis revealed 37 characteristic volatile compounds in co-fermented jujube wine. Therefore, using B. licheniformis in the wine fermentation process can significantly improve microbial biotransformation efficiency and flavor. Our results show that the mixed culture of B. licheniformis and S. cerevisiae could be a valuable tool to adjust volatile components and improve the aroma complexity of jujube wine.