fermentation Article Pilot Scale Fermentations of Sangiovese: An Overview on the Impact of Saccharomyces and Non-Saccharomyces Wine Yeasts Cristina Romani 1, Livio Lencioni 1 , Alessandra Biondi Bartolini 2, Maurizio Ciani 3 , Ilaria Mannazzu 4,* and Paola Domizio 1,* 1 Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry (DAGRI), University of Florence, 50144 Firenze, Italy;
[email protected] (C.R.); livio.lencioni@unifi.it (L.L.) 2 R&D Wine and Sensory Consultant, 51017 Pescia, Italy;
[email protected] 3 Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, 60121 Ancona, Italy; m.ciani@staff.univpm.it 4 Department of Agriculture, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy * Correspondence:
[email protected] (I.M.); paola.domizio@unifi.it (P.D.) Received: 30 May 2020; Accepted: 22 June 2020; Published: 30 June 2020 Abstract: The production of wines with peculiar analytical and sensorial profiles, together with the microbiological control of the winemaking process, has always been one of the main objectives of the wine industry. In this perspective, the use of oenological starters containing non-Saccharomyces yeasts can represent a valid tool for achieving these objectives. Here we present the results of seven pilot scale fermentations, each of which was inoculated with a different non-Saccharomyces yeast strain and after three days with a commercial Saccharomyces cerevisiae starter. The fermentations were carried out in double on 70 L of Sangiovese grape must, the most widely planted red grape variety in Italy and particularly in Tuscany, where it is utilized for the production of more than 80% of red wines. Fermentations were monitored by assessing both the development of the microbial population and the consumption of sugars at the different sampling times.