Sequential Inoculation of Metschnikowia pulcherrima and Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a Biotechnological Tool to Increase the Terpenes Content of Pecorino White Wines

The aim of this study was the evaluation of the effect of the sequential inoculation of Metschnikowia pulcherrima and Saccharomyces cerevisiae for the production of Pecorino wine on the winery scale. Sequential inoculation allowed for wines with interesting oenological characteristics to be obtained. In particular, these wines showed a lower ethanol content than those obtained with S. cerevisiae alone, and the presence of M. pulcherrima induced a reduction in the wine titratable and volatile acidity of about 30%. The effect of M. pulcherrima was relevant also in terms of the volatile profile of the wines. In fact, an increase in the esters content of 60% and a reduction of 53% of the acetic acid was observed. Moreover, the sequential inoculation resulted in an increase in the terpenes content of about 80%. The wines also showed a different sensory profile; in fact, the wines obtained with the sequential inoculation showed higher scores than the other wines for the following descriptors: floral, tropical fruit, citrusy, balsamic, and freshness.