Ecology and technological capability of lactic acid bacteria isolated during Grillo grape vinification in the Marsala production area.

Grapes of “Grillo” variety, used to produce Marsala wine, were harvested from five vineyards different for climatic and agronomic parameters, in order to obtain a first mapping of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) inhabiting the production area. Marsala base wine production was followed at large-scale and two experimental vinifications, different for lysozyme and SO2 concentration and combination, were carried out at pilot-plant scale. LAB communities and conventional chemical parameters were periodically analysed. LAB were found on grapes at an average concentration of about 102 CFU g-1 which decreased during the transformation process. A total of 146 colonies were collected, but only 35 were recognized as presumptive LAB. On the basis of phenotypic differences and isolation source, 16 isolates were then subjected to genotypic identification and gathered into the following species: Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis, Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris, Enterococcus faecium, Leuconostoc fallax and Sporalactobacillus nakayamae subsp. nakayamae. Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis strains was the species most frequently isolated during winemaking showing the highest resistance to SO2 and lysozyme.