Peonidin-3-glucoside content and malvidin-3-glucoside content are significantly different in red wines produced using three generations of Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains different for their phenolic adsorption

Peonidin-3-glucoside and malvidin-3-glucoside are two major anthocyanins responsible for colour in wines produced using black grapes of the Calabrian cultivar Gaglioppo. The purpose of this work was the validation of the assumption, formulated in a previous study [1], that Grape Pigment Adsorption (GPA) phenotype is a quantitative trait loci in yeasts.So we tried to identify a possible segregation of genes related to the absorption of single phenolic compounds/pigments checking the adsorption phenotype of 3 wild type strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, 16 single-spore descendants, and 4 hybrids obtained by crossing the descendants. The wines produced by micro-winemaking trials were analysed for absorbance at 420, 520 and 620 nm, colour intensity, tint, total polyphenols at 280nm, and phenolic profile.Concerning the peonidin-3-glucoside content of the wines, strain RC026 and its 4 descendants are all significantly different (0.455-0.566 mg/L) compared to strain RC039 and all its 4 descendants (0.322-0.375 mg/L). The two hybrids obtained by crossing one descendant of the strain RC026 and one descendant of the strain RC039 have an intermediate behaviour (0.370-0.391 mg/L). The same observation can be extended to the malvidin-3-glucoside content of the wines, but the differences are not significant for all the strains.On the whole, this work has highlighted that wine starter selection towards basic traits - like absorbance values, colour intensity, and total polyphenol content - makes possible to produce red wines improved in these parameters but this does not guarantee yeast behaviour towards each single pigment. For example, the hybrid RC029B-1C x RC039C-1C can produce red wines with the highest and significantly different values of absorbance at 420nm, 520nm, 620nm, colour intensity and total polyphenols at 280nm, but very low content of peonidin-3-glucoside (0.350 mg/L) and malvidin-3-glucoside (0.396 mg/L).In conclusion, data have confirmed the possibility to improve wine yeast as regards the GPA trait and, in detail, as regards the peonidin-3-glucoside and malvidin-3-glucoside content in wines produced using black grapes of the Calabrian cultivar Gaglioppo.[1] Caridi A., Sidari R., Solieri L., Cufari A., Giudici P. - Wine colour adsorption phenotype: an inheritable quantitative trait loci of yeasts. Journal of Applied Microbiology, 103(3), 735-742, 2007.