Over the last few years the use of multi-starter inocula has become an attractive biotechnological practice in the
search for wine with high flavour complexity or distinctive characters. This has been possible through exploiting
the particular oenological features of some non-Saccharomyces yeast strains, and the effects that derive from their
specific interactions with Saccharomyces. In the present study, we evaluated the selected strain Zygotorulaspora
florentina (formerly Zygosaccharomyces florentinus) in mixed culture fermentations with Saccharomyces
cerevisiae, from the laboratory scale to the winery scale. The scale-up fermentation and substrate composition
(i.e., white or red musts) influenced the analytical composition of the mixed fermentation.
At the laboratory scale, mixed fermentation with Z. florentina exhibited an enhancement of polysaccharides and
2-phenylethanol content and a reduction of volatile acidity.
At the winery scale, different fermentation characteristics of Z. florentina were observed. Using Sangiovese red
grape juice, sequential fermentation trials showed a significantly higher concentration of glycerol and esters
while the sensorial analysis of the resulting wines showed higher floral notes and lower perception of astringency.
To our knowledge, this is the first time that this yeasts association has been evaluated at the winery scale indicating
the potential use of this mixed culture in red grape varieties