Utilization of Non-Saccharomyces to Address Contemporary Winemaking Challenges: Species Characteristics and Strain Diversity

Winemaking is facing significant challenges caused by industrialization of the process, climate change, and increased consumer awareness regarding the use of chemical preservatives. Although several solutions have been proposed, the utilization of non-Saccharomyces species seems to be the most efficient one. Several non-Saccharomyces species have been employed for this purpose, with Hanseniaspora uvarum, H. vineae, Kluyveromyces marxianus, Lachancea thermotolerans, Metschnikowia pulcherrima, Pichia fermentans, P. kluyveri, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, Starmerella bacillaris, Torulaspora delbrueckii, and Wickerhamomyces anomalus being the most promising ones. However, only a restricted amount of metabolic activities can be reliably attributed to the species level, while most of them are characterized by strain variability and are also affected by the Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains used to carry out alcoholic fermentation, as well as the efficient supply of precursor molecules by the grape varieties and the conditions for their effective bioconversion. This variability necessitates the application of optimization strategies, taking into consideration all these parameters. This review article aims to assist in this direction by collecting the data referring to the winemaking practice of the most interesting non-Saccharomyces species, presenting clearly and comprehensively their most relevant features, and highlighting the effect of strain diversity.