Influence of Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast strain on the major volatile compounds of wine

As must fermentation is often conducted with selected yeasts, it is important to determine the influence of the inoculated yeast strain on the wine organoleptic properties. We analysed the production of major volatile compounds (acetaldehyde, ethyl acetate and some fusel alcohols) during fermentations of musts from different grape cultivars and conducted with selected Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast strains. The production of these volatile compounds was variable, and depended mostly on the must composition and the fermentation conditions. Occasionally, the amount of certain volatiles compounds in the wine depended on the yeast strain. We observed inverse correlations between acetaldehyde and isobutanol production, and, between ethyl acetate and total fusel alcohol production. Also, a direct correlation was found between the organoleptic wine quality and the amount of ethyl acetate. The most appreciated wines were made with yeast strains that did not produce high amounts of any of the analysed compounds, while the lowest quality wines were made with yeast strains that produced high amounts of acetaldehyde and fusel alcohols.