New concepts in wine yeast biotechnology

There is an ever-increasing demand for the cost-effective production of wine with minimised resource inputs, improved product quality, increased nutritional benefits and low environmental impact. It is expected that expanding knowledge in 'senso-chemistry', molecular biology and bioinformatics will provide some essential tools to allow the wine industry to meet the demand for enhanced wine quality, purity, uniqueness and diversity. Wine research should be directed toward increasing fundamental understanding in a context responsive to the applied needs of producers and consumers at levels of both problem selection and experimental design. Therefore, wine yeast research inspired by both the quest for understanding the basic molecular biology and by considerations of future use, promises to be a powerful dynamo of technological progress in an increasingly market-orientated industry. This presentation passes familiar light through new prisms to point out that, despite the current vocal opposition to genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and products, it will be at the peril of both the wine producer and the wine consumer should gene technology be ignored by the international wine industry. This perspective is illuminated by the potential role that genetically customised starter yeast strains could play in improving the fermentation, processing and biopreservation of wines, as well as their capacity to enhance the wholesomeness and sensory quality of wine.