WINETECH Technical Yearbook 2019

THIOL- RELEASING AND LOW VA-FORMING HYBRID WINE YEASTS

JUNE 2019

During alcoholic fermentation of grape must, the metabolic activity of Saccharomyces cerevisiae leads to a range of compounds, some of which enhance tropical fruit aroma, e.g. volatile thiols (Bovo et al ., 2015; King, 2010; Pinu et al ., 2012). INTRODUCTION Two thiols in particular, namely 3-mercapto- hexanol (3MH) and 3-mercaptohexyl acetate (3MHA) are the key aroma enhancing metab- olites in, especially Sauvignon blanc, and are RODNEY HART, BONGANI NDIMBA & NEIL JOLLY: ARC Infruitec- Nietvoorbij, Stellenbosch KEYWORDS: Hybrid yeasts, Sauvignon blanc, tropical fruit aroma, volatile acidity.