Higher alcohol and acetic acid production by apiculate wine yeasts

P. ROMANO, G. SUZZI, G. COMI AND R. ZIRONI. 1992. Ninety‐six strains of apiculate wine yeasts were investigated for their ability to produce higher alcohols and acetic acid in synthetic medium. Less isoamyl alcohol and more n ‐propanol and isobutanol were formed by Hanseniaspora guilliermondii than by Kloeckera apiculata. The latter produced twice as much acetic acid as H. guilliermondii. The production of higher alcohols and acetic acid was found to be a characteristic of individual strains and was statistically significant. In a multivariate analysis of higher alcohol production two main groupings were formed at 86%S, corresponding to the taxa H. guilliermondii and K. apiculata. Strains that produced low amounts (50 mg/1) of acetic acid, comparable with that of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, were found in both species of apiculate yeasts.