Effect of Different Commercial Saccharomyces cerevisiae Strains on the Organic Acids and Aromatic Substances of Actinidia arguta Wines

This study examined the effect of different Saccharomyces cerevisiae on the flavor and taste of Actinidia arguta wine. Nine kinds of commercial S. cerevisiae were applied to ferment A. arguta wine. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-GC-IMS) were used to determine the organic acids and volatile aroma compounds of the wines, respectively, and a sensory evaluation was performed. The results indicated that the organic acid content of the A. arguta wines varied significantly among different S. cerevisiae, with citric acid and quinic acid being the main organic acids. The S. cerevisiae NSD had an acid-reducing effect, and the total organic acid content of its fermented Actinidia arguta wines was 13.004 g/L. Fifty-one volatile compounds were identified by HS-GC-IMS, comprising 24 esters, 11 alcohols, 9 aldehydes, 4 ketones, 2 terpenes, and 1 acid, with the highest total volatile compound content in the NSD sample (75125.01 μg/L). There were no significant differences in the types of volatile compounds, but there were significant differences in the contents (P<0.05). Principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) effectively differentiated the A. arguta wines fermented by different S. cerevisiae. Seven key volatile aroma substances were screened out based on the P<0.05 and VIP>1: ethyl hexanoate, isoamyl acetate, 3-methyl-1-butanol, 2-methyl-1-propanol, isobutyl acetate, 4-methyl-1-pentanol, and methyl hexanoate. The sensory evaluation revealed that the wine fermented by S. cerevisiae NSD had a strong aroma, moderate acidity, mellow taste, optimal flavor, and the highest sensory scores. Overall, the results showed that the S. cerevisiae NSD could improve the flavor quality of A. arguta wine, and it was a suitable yeast for A. arguta winemaking. This study would provide a research idea for analyzing the flavor substances in A. arguta wine, and the results offer a theoretical basis for improving the flavor of A. arguta wine in the future.