New Brock research is exploring the potential for a Niagara-specific yeast strain to alleviate fruit quality issues caused by vineyard diseases, help wine fermentation and improve wine flavour.

Biological Sciences master’s student Daniel Phillipow is researching a locally isolated Niagara yeast strain and its ability to add positive fruity flavours to wine while mitigating negative effects of fruit breakdown caused by sour rot and Botrytis, a fungi group that causes plant diseases, such as noble rot in grapes.

“The Saccharomyces uvarum strain that we call CN1 is not the traditional yeast used in wine fermentation,” says Phillipow, whose research is being supervised by Debbie Inglis, Director of Brock’s Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute (CCOVI). “It was first isolated from Riesling Icewine grapes and is thought to be unique to our region.”

During fermentation, CN1 has been found to consume acetic acid, which can create notes of vinegar in the final product and convert it into fruity and floral esters that enhance the sensory profile of wine in Cabernet Franc trials.

While CCOVI Oenology Scientist Jennifer Kelly has had positive results fermenting Cabernet Franc red wine with CN1, Phillipow’s research is exploring whether it can successfully be used for Riesling white wine fermentation.

Phillipow has inoculated and fermented Riesling must — the juice extracted from destemmed, crushed and pressed grapes — with different levels of sour rot and Botrytis and is in the process of measuring compounds created by either CN1 or commercial wine yeast to determine what flavours are appearing. During the next stage of his research, he will bottle the wines and use sensory evaluation to determine if there is a perceivable difference between wines fermented with the different yeast strains and rot levels.

“Ultimately, we are hoping the deployment of this yeast strain will provide winemakers with a new tool to differentiate their wines in the marketplace and also combat challenges from climate change by using fruit that may have otherwise been rejected,” Phillipow says.

His research has already been recognized by the wine industry, earning him second place at a student poster competition during the 2024 Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Convention.

“We are thrilled to see Daniel’s progress on such an important industry project,” said Inglis. “Botrytis and sour rot affect vineyards around the world as they are the intersection of how micro-organisms and the environment impact fruit. Use of a non-traditional yeast such as Saccharomyces uvarum CN1 may help the industry improve wine quality while also finding a use of the crop in less-than-ideal vintages. We cannot wait to review the results of Daniel’s research.”

Learn more about Phillipow’s project and other industry-leading research and innovations at brocku.ca/ccovi