Bioprotection as a tool to produce natural wine: Impact on physicochemical and sensory analysis

¹ Technical University of Moldova, bd. Stefan cel Mare 168, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova
² Purcari wineries plc, str. Calea Iesilor, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova

Abstract

With an increasing concern of the food security, more and more winemakers choose bioprotection as an alternative of SO₂ in winemaking process as a practice of natural wine producing. In order to insight a way to produce reliable natural wine, three wines were produced in vintage 2021, in the Republic Moldova. This study provides two comparisons of physicochemical property and sensory analysis: (1) Comparison between commercial yeast and wild yeast, two wines followed a conventional fermentation technique, but different yeasts were used: Saccharomyces cerevisiae (wine A), wild yeast (wine); (2) Comparison between bioprotection and SO₂ usage: Wine A and Wine C (which were inoculated two non-Saccharomyces: Torulaspora delbrueckii and Metschnikowia pulcherrima before alcohol fermentation). As a result of this comparative study, it is found that the commercial yeast is more capable of converting sugar in the alcoholic fermentation, but after malolatic fermentation (MLF) the alcohol levels of each are almost same. From physicochemical poit of view, the bioprotectors obviously modified the volatile acidity, total polyphenol index (TPI), phenolic, anthoyanin and ethyl acetate. From sensory perspective, the smell intensity of bioprotection wine is higher and with more fruity aroma.