| Grapes form warm climates/vintages often contain excessive sugars but lack the acidity. Lachancea (Kluyveromyces) thermotolerans is the yeast of choice for such scenarios. During fermentation, L. thermotolerans can partially convert sugars to lactic acid. It can thereby induce acidification whilst decreasing ethanol content in wines. In pursuit of superior strain(s) to be used as starters in the industry, we acquired ~200 L. thermotolerans isolates from all over the world. We first developed molecular tools to study their relationships at the genetic level. Then, we performed an extensive oenological characterisation of 94 L. thermotolerans strains. The best performing strains were further tested in co-fermentations with Saccharomyces cerevisiae, required to complete the fermentation. The observed modulations in ethanol content and acidity further highlighted the oenological potential of this remarkable yeast species for warm-climate winemaking. |
