Isolation and oenological characterization of culturable yeasts from Rosa sterilis S.D. Shi

Rosa sterilis S.D. Shi is a rose plant endemic to China, belonging to the family Rosaceae. Oenological yeasts play an indispensable role in wine fermentation. In this study, culturable yeasts were isolated from R. sterilis and identified using a culture-dependent approach. Their oenological and fermentation characteristics were also investigated. Five species – Wickerhamomyces anomalus , Pichia kluyveri , Hanseniaspora uvarum , Pichia sporocuriosa , and Zygosaccharomyces bisporus – were isolated and identified from R. sterilis . These native yeasts exhibited distinct characteristics in terms of growth, carbon source utilization, and the production of hydrogen sulfide, β-glucosidase, ethanol, and ester compounds. Most strains, except P. sporocuriosa , showed tolerance to oenological conditions comparable to that of the commercial strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae X16 . Moreover, the volatile aromatic compound profiles of R. sterilis wines fermented with native yeasts were significantly more diverse than those fermented with S. cerevisiae X16. Collectively, these findings indicate that the native yeasts from R. sterilis hold promising potential for application in wine fermentation.