Exploitation of the non-Saccharomyces yeast Starmerella bacillaris (synonym Candida zemplinina) in wine fermentation: Physiological and molecular characterizations

•Sixty-three isolates of Starmerella bacillaris were investigated.•Physiological and genetic characterizations were carried out.•Low level of diversity between the isolates of Starm. bacillaris was found.•Fermentation trials demonstrated the good enological performance of the species.•A potential application of Starm. bacillaris in mixed wine fermentations is foreseen.

Nowadays, the use of non-Saccharomyces yeasts in combination with Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a state-of-the-art strategy to improve complexity and enhance the analytical composition of the wines. This application has stimulated the interest of understanding how the non-Saccharomyces yeasts can contribute to the quality of the wines. The study presented here explores the potential use of Starmerella bacillaris (synonym Candida zemplinina) under winemaking conditions. Physiological and genetic characterizations of sixty-three isolates of Starm. bacillaris, previously isolated from four different varieties of grapes, were carried out. Both analyses revealed a low level of diversity between the isolates of Starm. bacillaris, while the fermentation trials in laboratory scale demonstrated the good enological performance of this species. The strong fructophilic character of this species and its ability to produce low quantities of ethanol and acetic acid and high amounts of glycerol were confirmed. The results, presented here, demonstrated a potential application of this non-Saccharomyces species in mixed wine fermentations with S. cerevisiae.