Introduction
Marco Razzauti, Chr Hansen Spa

Octave a yeast in response to climate change
Lorenzo Peyer, Chr. Hansen SPA
Global warming is also strongly affecting the wine we make today and the wine we will make tomorrow . High levels of ethanol and lack of acidity, are already common characteristics of many of the Mediterranean wines and will be more pronounced in the future. The yeast Octave, (Lachancea thermotolerans) was launched with the goal of enhancing white and rosé wines from these regions by partially converting sugars into lactic acid, thereby increasing acidity, freshness and flavor complexity. At the same time, Octave can help counteract spontaneous malolactic fermentation, especially in wines made with low or no SO2. In addition to preserving the freshness and cleanliness of the wine, this inhibitory effect allows the wine to be stored at higher temperatures , positively affecting the energy balance of both the cellar and the environment.

Bio-protection with Octave to control a spontaneous heterolactic fermentation. A case in Tuscany on C. Sauvignon
Giacomo Buscioni, FoodMicroTeam S.r.l (FMT)
One of the trials with Octave done in the 2020 vintage was on a Tuscan Cabernet Sauvignon. This winery has annual problems with heterolactic fermentation in this wine. The wine has a high pH and for some reasons the must has a high population of O.Oeni from the first days of alcoholic fermentation. We tried adding Octave in a tank co-inoculated with S. Cerevisiae and observed the metabolism of O.Oeni compared to the test tank. Octave was able to control the spontaneous flora of O.Oeni and postpone the start of spontaneous malolactic fermentation more effectively than a double addition of lysozyme.