Characterization of polymeric pigments and pyranoanthocyanins produced with non-Saccharomyces yeasts

The color, together with the aroma and the body, is one of the most important quality parameters for red wines. Pyranoanthocyanins, stable pigments found in wines, are produced through condensation of anthocyanins like malvidin-3-O-glucoside with yeast metabolites such as pyruvate and acetaldehyde; with vinyl phenolic compounds from hydroxycinnamic enzymatic catalytic reactions or with flavanols also present in the grape must. Red must from V. vinifera L. cv. Tempranillo grapes was fermented with non-Saccharomyces yeasts either alone or in sequential fermentation with the species Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The identification and quantification of the pigments was done with the liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectroscopy (HPLC-DAD-ESI/MS). The wines obtained were also characterized with infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), gas chromatography (GC-FID) and spectrophotometry (UV-Vis). Wines produced with the species Schizosaccharomyces pombe had higher concentration of pigments of all types: anthocyanins, polymeric pigments and pyranoanthocyanins, particularly vitisin A. In general the use of non-Saccharomyces yeasts led to increase the production of stable pigments. Pigment stability in red wines may be improved by the controlled selection of non-Saccharomyces yeasts during fermentation.