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Analyzing the influence of different yeast species on several compounds with enological interest, it becomes possible to identify metabolic determinants of the incidence of yeasts on wine quality. Contrary to Saccharomyces cerevisiae , understand- ing genetic regulation, enzymatic properties and physiology of non-Saccharomyces species in enological conditions is far from being known. Because of this, the commercialization of industrial non-Saccharomyces strains on wine industry is showing a really slow pace. In order to determine the enzymatic properties of wine-related yeast species it is necessary to evaluate hundreds of yeast isolates enabling us to robustly attribute specific enzymatic activities to a specific group of yeast species. The contri- bution of yeasts to wine flavour is greatly determined by their impact on aromatic compounds release. Different glycosidases, β-lyase, pectinase, cellulase and protease activities are described as responsible for changes in wine composition, so determining inter- and intraspecific variability in these enzymatic properties in yeast species seems to be a useful tool for innovative yeast selection process. With the aim of relating enzymatic activities with a specific impact in wine properties we developed combined fermentations with non-Saccharomyces selected strains and industrial S. cerevisiae strains. The use of rational metabolomic analysis allows us to explain the physiology of non-Saccharomyces yeasts during wine fermentation and its incidence on wine quality.

This study discusses the optimization of a selective and differential medium which would facilitate the isolation of Schizosaccharomyces (a genus with a low incidence compared to other microorganisms) to select individuals from this genus for industrial purposes, especially in light of the recent recommendation of the use of yeasts from this genus in the wine industry by the International Organisation of Vine and Wine, or to detect the presence of such yeasts, for those many authors who consider them food spoilers. To this end, we studied various selective differential agents based on the main physiological characteristics of these species, such as their high resistances to high concentrations of sugar, sulfur dioxide, sorbic acid, benzoic acid, acetic acid or malo ethanolic fermentation. This selective medium is based on the genus resistance to the antibiotic actidione and its high resistance to inhibitory agents such as benzoic acid. Malic acid was used as a differential factor due to the ability of this genus to metabolise it to ethanol, which allows detecting of the degradation of this compound. Lastly, the medium was successfully used to isolate strains of Schizosaccharomyces pombe from honey and honeycombs.