Nitrogen compounds in wine during its biological aging by two flor film yeasts: An approach to accelerated biological aging of dry sherry-type wines

Urea, ammonium, and free amino acid contents were quantified in biological aging of a young wine under two flor film forming yeast strains, Saccharomyces cerevisiae race capensis and S. cerevisiae race bayanus, and compared. Cell viability in the film was different for the two yeast strains. Thus, capensis maintained a much greater number of viable cells per surface area than bayanus and hence used greater amount of nitrogen compounds. The main source of nitrogen for the yeasts during the biological aging process was L-proline. The two yeast strains also differed in the amounts of assimilable nitrogen they utilized, in their preferences for amino acid consumption, and kinetics. To accelerate the aging process, the effect of controlled monthly aeration of the wine aged with capensis strain was investigated. The results revealed that short aeration did not appreciably increase the overall consumption of assimilable nitrogen, but consumption of some nitrogen compounds was accelerated (particularly L-proline, L-tryptophan, L-glutamic acid, ammonium ion, L-lysine, and L-arginine); the use of L-ornithine was inhibited; and GABA, L-methionine, and urea were depletes. Probably the aeration increases the aroma compounds, thereby producing wines with improved sensory properties. (c) 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.