Analysis of Aroma Components and Microbial Communities during the Spontaneous Fermentation of Marselan Wine from the Qigexing Small Production Area in the Yanqi Basin, Xinjiang

Abstract:

The experiment was conducted by using Marselan grapes from the Qigexing small production area in the Yanqi basin of Xinjiang as the raw materials to investigate the changes in microbial communities and their impacts on aromatic components during the 15-day natural fermentation process of wine. The fermentation broth was centrifuged during the process, then the supernatant was analyzed for volatile compounds and the pellet was subjected to high-throughput microbial sequencing. A total of 65 volatile compounds were detected in the fermented samples, including 16 higher alcohols, 14 esters, 5 terpenes, 6 aldehydes, 3 fatty acids, and 21 other aromatic compounds. Most compounds showed a significant upward trend during the fermentation process. Elven compounds had high odor activity values (OAV>1), among which β-damascenone (194.60), ethyl butyrate (27.64) and ethyl octanoate (18.11) played key roles in the aroma of Marselan wine. Floral, sweet, and fruity aromas were the main aroma characteristics of the small production area in Xinjiang. During fermentation, Saccharomyces cerevisiae dominated the fungal genera during the fermentation process, along with small amounts of Aspergillus, Talaromyces and Cladosporium. The main bacterial genera included Acetobacter, Pediococcus, Lactobacillus, and Methylobacterium. This studyhelps deepen the understanding of the diversity and dynamics of indigenous microorganisms during the fermentation process of Marselan wines from small production areas in Xinjiang. It is of great significance for optimizing winemaking techniques and developing and enhancing the regional characteristics of local wines.