Have you ever opened a bottle of Mavrotragano, but the smell that comes out reminds you of… Cabernet? This “misunderstanding” has a scientific interpretation. “This is due to the use of “commercial” yeast, microorganisms that are necessary for fermentation to produce wine that is imported,” explains “K” Professor of Food Biotechnology at the Agricultural University of Athens and Director of the Laboratory of Food Microbiology and Biotechnology, Dr. Seraphim Papanicolaou. Imported yeast strains “carry” with them physiological and biochemical characteristics that impart organoleptic elements from foreign varieties, as a result of which many wines homogenize in taste, losing their unique character.

“This is a widespread practice of Greek producers who, in order to ensure quality and, above all, a standardized product, use “commercial” yeast imported from abroad, mainly from France or Italy,” notes Dr. Roikos Thanopoulos, a member of the Agricultural University of Athens Property Management Company, which operates a 220-acre vineyard in Spata with five different varieties. The use of local yeasts has so far been a source of concern as it requires specialized expertise on the part of winemakers. At the same time, there is no “dough” of Greek varieties on the Greek market.

Knowing the above reality, a research group based at the Agricultural University developed a research proposal in 2017. “Enovation”aimed at analyzing in depth the yeasts originating from Greek biodiversity and using the best of them to further emphasize the special organoleptic characteristics of the Greek varieties. In a program that received funding from National Action “Research – Create – Innovation”Agricultural University of Athens (laboratories of food microbiology and biotechnology, oenology and phytopathology), ELGO “Dimitra” (Institute of Agricultural Products Technology), Agricultural University Property Management Company and Santo Wines cooperative company in Santorini.

“In previous years, we have done a thorough accounting of the natural microflora and have already isolated many strains of yeast from various Greek environments, food, etc., which we have stored in our laboratories,” notes Dr. Papanikolaou, “we continued to isolate strains from which they occur must be in Santorini and Spata.” Subsequently, the newly isolated yeasts were carefully studied on the basis of the Agrarian University and ELGO “Dimitra”. “We wanted to establish the resistance of microorganisms to increased concentrations of sugars and alcohol, their ability to produce interesting flavors, etc.,” Dr. Papanicolaou describes. Of the many (more than 30), about eight strains of yeast “passed” the test, and the most interesting, from a technological point of view, were discovered in the oenology laboratory. There, the professor in charge, Dr. Stamatina Kallitraka, among other things, started small-batch vinification, while organoleptic panels were also carried out to establish the aromas that these micro-organisms impart to the wine. Many of the strains have also been investigated by the plant pathology laboratory, etc. Dr. Dimitrios Tsitsigiannis underlines the “K”.offer effective and environmentally friendly plant protection.

The above yeast, which has passed all possible tests, has been used in large-scale winemaking in Santorini and Spata. “The wine, the result of our research, has already been released,” proudly says Dr. Thanopoulos, project coordinator. If the program continues, it could create a “Greek yeast bank” from which Greek growers can buy strains that are compatible with the strains they grow. In addition, about a hundred winemakers responded to the relevant questionnaire, and all of them stated that they were interested in purchasing domestic yeast, which would already undergo biochemical and organoleptic studies.

Quality

“The significant difference will not be in the price, which fluctuates around 15 euros per ton,” emphasizes Dr. Thanopoulos, “but in the quality of the final product, a wine that emphasizes all its special characteristics to the maximum. ” The wines in question will be able to formally be “recommended” as local, 100% Greek, obtained both from Greek raw materials and from microorganisms of “Greek” origin. “Let’s not forget that international consumers are looking for this type of wine with a special character and a taste that wine lovers will remember,” concludes Dr. Thanopoulos.