Effect of malolactic fermentation by Pediococcus damnosus on the composition and sensory profile of Albariño and Caiño white wines

Aim: This study was aimed to investigate the influence of malolactic fermentation (MLF) on sensory profile and organoleptic characteristics of Albariño and Caiño white wines.

Methods and results: Autochthonous bacteria were isolated from wines after alcoholic fermentation (AF) and further identified as Pediococcus damnosus by 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. When a commercial Oenococcus oeni starter was inoculated into Albariño and Caiño white wines to perform MLF, which was checked by HPLC quantification of malic and lactic acids, it was shown that autochthonous Ped. damnosus strains were able to predominate over the commercial O. oeni starter and perform MLF in Caiño wine. By contrast, neither commercial strain nor indigenous Pediococcus carried out MLF in Albariño wine. However, MLF was achieved when autochthonous strains that predominated in Caiño were inoculated into Albariño. Sensory analysis showed that after the MLF Albariño increased its body and softness, while Caiño result a more mature wine.

Conclusions: MLF can positively affect Albariño and Caiño wines giving them new attributes. Pediococci isolated and characterized in this work can successfully perform MLF without negative effects on the wine, because no production of biogenic amines or exopolysaccharides by the selected pediococcus strains was detected.

Significance and impact of the study: The effect of MLF in the sensory profile of Albariño and Caiño wines has never been studied before. Results obtained in this work showed that Ped. damnosus strains can be considered as a new topic of investigation on malolactic starter.