Influence of wine components on pellicle formation by pellicle-forming yeasts

This study aimed to clarify differences in susceptibility to red wine pellicle formation by pellicle-forming yeasts between two wine grape cultivars and to investigate wine components affecting pellicle formation. Twenty wines each of Muscat Bailey A (MBA) and Merlot (MR), the major grape cultivars of Japanese red wine, were used. Pellicle formation occurred more often in MBA wines than in MR wines, and almost all MBA wine surfaces were covered with pellicle after incubation for five days. Principal component analysis revealed the relationships between pellicle formation and the concentrations of ethanol, phenolics and tannins. The mean concentration of tannins in the pellicle MR wines (436 mg/L) was significantly lower than that in the non-pellicle MR wines (660 mg/L). Furthermore, the mean concentration of tannins in MBA wines (139 mg/L) was also significantly lower than that in MR wines (570 mg/L). Wine grape cultivar having a low concentration of tannins may be highly susceptible to pellicle formation by pellicle-forming yeasts during winemaking.