Wines in the northwest region of China often suffer from poor color stability, low wine acidity, and inelegant aroma description. The Lachancea thermotolerans yeasts with a high yield of lactic acid and pleasant aroma compounds can ameliorate such wines. In this study, the performances of native L. thermotolerans CVE-LT1 co-inoculated with Saccharomyces cerevisiae in different ratios and strategies (simultaneous and sequential mode) were evaluated in pilot scale fermenter (60 L) and industrial scale fermenter (520 hL) of Cabernet Sauvignon grape must with high sugar/low acidity. Results evidenced that the mixed culture of L. thermotolerans and S. cerevisiae can significantly increase lactic acid level (up to 6.98 g/L) and decrease wine pH (up to 3.57). Meanwhile, the color parameters of a* and C* in mixed culture wines were improved. The higher concentrations of volatile compounds were mainly observed in sequential inoculation treatments, including the enhancement of ethyl lactate and 2-phenylethanol. As for phenolic compounds, L. thermotolerans promoted the formation of anthocyanins derivatives and phenolic acids in pilot and industrial fermentation. In conclusion, these results indicated that L. thermotolerans LT1 can be used in hot winery regions to improve the acidity, color indexes, phenolic compounds, and aroma quality of wines.
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