Regional Institute of Wine and Oil

University of Perugia, yeasts for oenological use studied by IRVO

Ten years of research and studies on yeasts of oenological interest: this is what was shown during a seminar aimed at students last May 2nd held at the University of Perugia.

Renowned reality in the sector in which the Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences represents one of the teaching and research centers of excellence in the yeast sector at an international level. The biologist director of IRVO, Daniele Oliva, was involved: “A great satisfaction – he comments – which rewards us for what we have achieved so far. I must particularly thank Professor Pietro Buzzini, professor of agricultural microbiology".

In particular, "studies of the populations of these microorganisms present on Sicilian grapes - explains Oliva - and in spontaneous fermentations carried out in ancient cellars" were exhibited during the seminar. Just as "we had the opportunity to show how some of these yeast strains are used for the production, including industrial, of innovative wines". In this case we are talking about red wines with less alcohol and more glycerol and white wines with a higher aromatic content.

Many of these studies have, among other things, been published in recent years in prestigious international scientific journals such as the Journal of Applied Microbiology, Plos One (The public Library of Science of California), Food Research International and the South African Journal Of Enology and Viticulture .