Optimal management of yeast nutrition is a key approach to better controlling the wine fermentation process. Until now, most research conducted in recent decades has focused on nitrogen supply. However, vitamins, although essential for yeast metabolism as cofactors in many enzymatic reactions, have been little studied to date. This situation has changed recently with the development of a reverse-phase HPLC-UV method, which allows for the direct analysis of eight water-soluble vitamins and their vitamin derivatives in the must matrix.
This presentation aims to summarize current knowledge on vitamins, addressing the composition of musts and the nutritional needs of yeasts. We will highlight in particular the progress made in the development of this new method. With regard to grape musts, we will look at the characterization of the vitamers content of 85 white grape musts, subsequently extended to 142 musts.
As for yeasts, we will examine the determination of their vitamin requirements and the consumption preference of vitamers in eight commercial strains of wine yeasts, including three non-Saccharomyces species that are particularly interesting in relation to the current challenges facing the wine industry. Finally, we will discuss the impact of vitamin concentrations, taken individually or in interaction with each other and with nitrogen, on the final composition of wine and on the production of volatile aromatic compounds.
Overall, this recent research highlights the fundamental role of vitamins in oenology, thus opening up new perspectives for fermentation control and the optimization of wine sensory profiles.