Objective
Traditionally, wines were produced by the resident grape/winery microbiota, whereas nowadays commercial Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Oenococcus oeni starter cultures are widely used to ensure a manageable process. Despite advantages, this may lead to sensory resemblance of wines from diverse origins. Currently, the competitive nature of global wine market urges for the production of premium wines with regional character. Consumers also call for allergen-free wines made according to natural and organic procedures. To this end, the use of indigenous S. cerevisiae or non-Saccharomyces (wild) yeasts and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) is a tool to create wine complexity and authenticity, while selected LAB may effectively control malolactic fermentation and thereby eliminate biogenic amines (BA). The innovative scope of this project is to combine native S. cerevisiae with wild yeasts and native O. oeni with other LAB in the development of peculiar multi-species yeast and bacterial starter blends, respectively. These formulations will be carefully designed to fulfill all the essential and desirable winemaking properties to serve as starters in induced wild fermentations for the production of specialty organic or conventional wines. For this purpose, the biodiversity of key EU viticultural areas will be thoroughly screened to identify strains of enological importance as per their phenotypic characters and genetic traits. Their eligibility will be validated in plant-scale fermentations and wines will be evaluated by sensory analysis and consumer acceptance testing. Outcomes will enable (a) launching of ‘wild ferment’ technology in winemaking, (b) production of innovative, safe terroir wines and (c) compliance with rules on organic wine production and BA content. By these means, the project will assist the SME-AGs from leading wine producing EU countries (France, Italy, Spain, Greece) to enhance marketing abilities towards a more competitive and sustainable wine industry.
Fields of science
- agricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesagriculturehorticultureviticulture
- natural scienceschemical sciencesorganic chemistryorganic acids
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesmicrobiologybacteriology
- natural scienceschemical sciencesorganic chemistryamines
- engineering and technologyindustrial biotechnologybioprocessing technologiesfermentation
Call for proposal
FP7-SME-2012
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Funding Scheme
BSG-SME-AG - Research for SME associations/groupings
Coordinator
11145 Athina
Greece
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Participants (15)
Participation ended
33076 Bordeaux Cedex
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33570 Montagne
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70100 Irakleio, Crete
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14100 Asti
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20500 Nemea
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43737 Torroja Del Priorat Tarragona
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33570 Lussac
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25100 Aeghion
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33210 Sauternes
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43730 Falset
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14040 Castel Boglione (At)
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10124 Torino
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33000 Bordeaux
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30240 Le Grau Du Roi
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43003 Tarragona
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