Impact of indigenous and species co-culture on Cabernet Sauvignon wine malolactic fermentation: Kinetic parameters, color and aroma.

Malolactic fermentation (MLF) is a crucial process to enhance wine quality, and the utilization of indigenous microorganisms has the potential to enhance wine characteristics distinct to a region. Here, the MLF performance of five indigenous strains and six synthetic microbial communities (SynComs), were comparatively evaluated in Cabernet Sauvignon wine. In terms of malate metabolism rate and wine aroma diversity, the strain of Oe114-46 demonstrated comparable MLF performance to the commercial strain of Oe450 PreAc. Furthermore, the corresponding SynComs (Oe144-46/LpXJ25) exhibited improved fermentation properties, leading to increased viable cell counts of both species, more rapid and thorough MLF, and increased concentrations of important aroma compounds, such as linalool, 4-terpinenol, α-terpineol, diethyl succinate, and ethyl lactate. These findings highlight the remarkable MLF performance of indigenous and - microbial communities, emphasizing their immense potential in improving MLF efficiency and wine quality.