The yeast strain as a tool for healthy wines

A vast literature has been produced during the last 25 years about the association between wine consumption and human health, and benefits due to moderate drinking are supported no longer by the country doctor's traditional experience only but also by a huge number of clinical and epidemiological investigations. The editorial of the Special issue on Wine Health published in Nutrition and Aging in 2014 summarised that "light to moderate wine consumption should not replace a healthy diet and lifestyle but should be an adjunct to it to promote healthy ageing ...", even if "many more studies are required to ... better understand the effects of wine and its core components on human health" (Stockley, 2014). The beneficial effects of wine - as well as those of other grapevine derived products - are mainly attributed to polyphenol composition (Di Lorenzo et al. 2015), also in conjunction with ethanol. The J-shape curves between alcohol/wine consumption and different mortality causes (e.g. cardiovascular diseases) are well known. However, wine is neither a medicine nor a poison; it is culture, and its consumption needs education (Poli e Visioli 2015). No doubt, the Latin adage "in medio stat virtus" perfectly fits this specific case. With a purely practical approach, the lecture will show some results about the effect of not genetically engineered commercial yeast strains on the content of several white wine compounds with potential consequences in terms of healthiness. Focus will mainly be on simple phenols, vitamins, urethane, arsenic, heavy metals and phosphonates