Bioprotective Effect of a <i>Torulaspora delbrueckii</i>/<i>Lachancea thermotolerans</i>-Mixed Inoculum in Red Winemaking

One of the alternatives to SO₂ as an antimicrobial is the use of bioprotection yeasts, which colonize the medium preventing the proliferation of undesirable microorganisms. In this work, the bioprotective effect of a mixed inoculum formed by <i>Torulaspora delbrueckii</i>/<i>Lachancea thermotolerans</i> during fermentation was evaluated. For this purpose, fermentations were carried out using this mixed inoculum and the populations of yeasts, lactic bacteria and acetic bacteria, and the physical–chemical parameters of the wines obtained were studied. The results were compared with those obtained in spontaneous fermentation with and without SO₂. The different fermentation strategies caused a differentiation in the yeast species present during fermentation. Regarding populations of lactic acid bacteria, results showed that the effect of the addition of the mixed inoculum was comparable to that exerted by SO₂. On the other hand, due to the high sensitivity of acetic acid bacteria to SO₂, the sulfite vinifications showed a lower population of acetic acid bacteria in the early stages of fermentation, followed by the vinifications with the mixed inoculum.