Use of ozonation to sanitize the grapes during red wine making. Effect on acidification, phenols, aroma, sensory profile, and implications in the implantation of Lachancea thermotolerans yeasts and SO2 reduction

Abstract

Ozonated water (4 ppm) has been used to sanitize red grapes (cv Tempranillo, Vitis vinifera L.) after destemming and to facilitate the implantation of the non- Saccharomyces yeast Lachancea thermotolerans in the absence of sulphites. The implantation of L. thermotolerans in ozone fermentations was more successful with a higher acidification (+13% of lactic acid) and a lower variability among replicates (n = 3). Ozone fermentations kept the same amount of anthocyanins (p < 0.05) measured by HPLC-DAD and lower values of acetaldehyde and ethyl acetate analyzed by GC-FID. The concentration of higher alcohols, esters and carbonyl compounds was similar in ozone fermentations and controls (p < 0.05). Ozonated water is a powerful tool to control microorganisms facilitating fermentations with non- Saccharomyces sensitive to sulfites like Lachancea thermotolerans and the wine making with low levels of SO2 . The better implantation produces more reproducible fermentations in terms of volatile compounds and metabolites