The present work aims to identify candidate strains, from non-conventional yeast species, to be used in the reduction of the alcohol level in wine by means of their sugar respiratory catabolism. Physiological characterization involved, in the first instance, the determination of respiratory quotient (RQ). Other relevant physiological parameters were determined, including the yield on substrate of biomass and key metabolites (ethanol, glycerol, acetic acid, and succinic acid), as well as strain sensitivity to high sugar concentration and ethanol.