Controlled Fermentation

Fermentation is a process that has been used since ancient times, when alcoholic beverages were produced from fruit juices, grains, and honey—yet people did not fully understand how the process worked or which microorganisms were involved.

Today, fortunately, we understand fermentation in depth. At LEV2050, we focus on innovation in oenological microbiology to provide the best bioreactors and terroir microbiota studies.

Fermentation is one of the most important processes in winemaking, and that is exactly what we want to discuss here—specifically, controlled fermentation.

What is fermentation?

Fermentation is an anaerobic biochemical oxidation process in which microorganisms convert complex molecules (glucose) into simpler ones (ethanol), releasing energy in the process.

In the wine and brewing industries, alcoholic fermentation is carried out by yeasts, producing ethanol, carbon dioxide, and ATP from certain sugars. This is how alcoholic beverages are produced.

To support this process, LEV2050 has developed yeast propagation bioreactors, producing new generations of cells with high yields while ensuring yeast inoculum viability and vitality—so fermentation can be conducted under optimal conditions. We previously discussed the characteristics of our BR-LEV-LC and BR-CV reactors in another blog post.

Controlled fermentation

Controlled fermentation is the most effective way to maximize winery performance while respecting each terroir—improving wine quality and delivering unique, distinctive profiles.

Controlled fermentation means using a custom selection of the best yeast and lactic acid bacteria strains for each winery.

This results in a more rational, ecosystem-based sustainability approach, by avoiding the introduction of exogenous microorganisms that are commercially available to any winery anywhere in the world.

What studies do we carry out?

At LEV2050, we want to support you at every stage. That’s why we conduct a set of studies designed to build a tailored fermentation strategy that maximizes performance in your winery:

Yeast study

This allows us to assess the biodiversity of microbiota present in very specific plots within each winery’s vineyards. We carry out isolation, identification, selection, and characterization of yeasts—both Saccharomyces and Non-Saccharomyces—with the goal of identifying native strains with the best properties for use as fermentation starters.

Study of lactic acid bacteria

We isolate, identify, select, and characterize native lactic acid bacteria strains present in your terroir—ultimately selecting those that best express the properties needed for use as starter cultures.

These bacteria may or may not be Oenococcus, since many other LAB genera can participate in malolactic fermentation.

Once strains are selected through sensory analysis from microvinifications, custom biomass of the selected strains is produced and tested at winery scale.

Customized nutrition study

We select yeast genera, species, and strains that are phylogenetically diverse, and produce complete lysates and/or blends to act as nutritional, organoleptic, and structural agents.

This enables the development of custom organic nutrients for each winery—supporting maximum wine quality and a high level of organoleptic profile personalization.