Influence of the yeast autolysates addition on the volatile compounds of sparkling white wines

During sparkling wine aging, different compounds such as polysaccharides can be released due to yeast autolysis that can cause important changes in wine composition. Yeast autolysis is a slow natural process that takes long time, and the addition of some products could improve the quality of these wines. The aim of this work was to study the effect of the addition of several commercial yeast autolysates on the volatile composition of white sparkling wines ( Godello and Verdejo ), and aged on lees for 9 months. The discriminant analyses indicated that the sparkling wines treated with PCP2 showed the highest differences in the volatile composition of both sparkling wines studied, being the ethyl esters, terpenes, decanoic acid and some alcohols, the compounds that were affected in a greater extent. This fact could be due to PCP2 presenting the highest mannoprotein percentage that can interact with volatile compounds, modulating their volatility and perception.