The Influence of Yeast Race on the Characteristics of Sparkling wines

Abstract

The typical and distinctive characteristicts of sparkling wines are their sparkle and foam formation. The formation of foam on thesurface of wine depends largely on the content of surfactants in it. The role of these agents in wine is playedby colloidal substances and compounds – proteins, polyphenols, lipids and polysaccharides. The concentration of high-molecular substances in wine depends on a number of factors, including the physiological characteristics of the used yeast race. In champagne wine samples, the mass concentration of high-molecular substances determining surface-active properties were defined, as well as the sum of surfactants and such physicochemical indicators as the coefficient of resistance to carbon dioxide release, the ability of foam formation and the pressure of carbon dioxide, which determine the sparkle and foaminess of wine.The highest foaming ability value of 18.7 seconds was determined in the test sample obtained with the SP-39 race, which exceeds the indicator in the control sample by 2 seconds, and it also correlates with the highest indicator of the total amount of surfactants in this sample.

The main criterion of champagnization is the creation of excess pressure in the two-gas system created by wine and carbon dioxide. The highest pressure (460 MPa) was achieved while using SP-39 race, which indicates its high fermentation activity. It contributes to the complete fermentation of sugars. It is followed by the race IOS 18-2017, which created a pressure of 420 MPa in the bottle. The lowest carbon dioxide pressure was recorded while using X-16 race, which was 340 MPa.  

The results of the study showed technological advantages of the race SP-39 over other research races of active yeasts. The wine obtained with the given race showed the highest total surfactant indicator (3260 mg/dm3), which correlated with the highest indicator of foaming ability and higher capacity of carbon dioxide retention in this sample. The use of SP-39 race also resulted in the development of a higher carbon dioxide pressure at the end of the secondary fermentation.