Fruit vinegars based on citrus wines (intervento orale)

Aims: To evaluate the feasibility of new fruit vinegars based on citrus wines.Methods and results: Natural or concentrated citrus juices - lemon, orange, or bergamot - and must from natural or dried grapes were differently mixed to prepare substrata for winemaking. The alcoholic fermentation trials were carried out using selected strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae or Hanseniaspora guilliermondii. The obtained citrus wines and other control wines were acetified with selected strains of Acetobacter aceti, A. pasteurianus or Gluconacetobacter hansenii. The obtained vinegars were examined for the principal analytical parameters. Remarkable differences among the vinegars were observed.Conclusion: To obtain citrus wines fit to produce vinegars it is advisable: a) the choice of an appropriate mixing ratio among the fruit juices, to attain sufficient sugar content; b) the utilization for the winemaking of suitable non-Saccharomyces yeasts. To obtain fruit vinegars based on citrus wines it is advisable to select bacterial strains showing high acid-resistance and ability to metabolize methylic alcohol.Significance and impact of the study: The trials carried out with the present work constitute a basic step, with the ultimate goal to produce new fruit vinegars based on citrus wines.