Three wine-making residues (grape seeds, skins and stems), and corn cobs were evaluated as support
material for immobilization of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and the ethanol production by the immobilized
cells was assessed. The main objective ofthis study was to find an abundant and low cost material suitable
for the cells immobilization and able to be used in a next step of wine production by immobilized yeast
cells. The four natural materials were used as support in two different forms: untreated, and treated by a
sequence of acid and basic reactions. Untreated grape skin and corn cobs provided the highest cell immobilization
results (25.1 and 22.2 mg cells/g support, respectively). The maximum ethanol production yield
(about 0.50 g/g) was also obtained when the cells were immobilized in these untreated materials. It was
also found that the support materials released nutrients to the medium, which favored the yeast development
and the ethanol production. The use of immobilized cells systems under agitated conditions gave
ethanol yields similar to those obtained by the static fermentations, but the immobilized cell concentration
was significantly lower. In brief, static fermentation with cells immobilized on grape skins or corn
cobs appear to be an interesting alternative for use on wine-making. The use of grape skins, particularly,
which is a by-product of the wine elaboration, could be of larger interest to obtain an integrated wine
production process with by-product reuse.