Conventional physical dealcoholization methods for non-alcoholic wine are often associated with aroma loss and reduced flavor complexity, leading to increased attention toward microbial approaches that inherently limit ethanol formation. This study ev...
Conventional physical dealcoholization methods for non-alcoholic wine are often associated with aroma loss and reduced flavor complexity, leading to increased attention toward microbial approaches that inherently limit ethanol formation. This study evaluated the potential of the non-Saccharomyces yeast Metschnikowia pulcherrima KCTC 27502 for producing non-alcoholic Omija (Schisandra chinensis Baillon) wine and investigated its fermentation and aroma characteristics. Omija juice was ripened for up to 20 days, and ripening at 15°C for 9 days was selected as the optimal condition based on the highest °Brix/acid ratio 2.75 ± 0.03. HS-GC/MS profiling of commercial red wines, Omija wines, and M. pulcherrima KCTC 27502-fermented Omija wine identified ethyl acetate, isoamyl alcohol, and heptyl isobutyl ketone as common volatile compounds, while 1,8-cineole was abundant in M. pulcherrima KCTC 27502-fermented Omija wine, indicating an Omija specific aroma component. These compounds were selected as target responses for fermentation optimization using response surface methodology (RSM). The optimal fermentation conditions were determined as an initial pH of 4.87, an initial sugar content of 19.27 °Brix, and a fermentation temperature of 31.07°C. The predicted concentration was 186.21 ppm and the experimentally measured value was 163.46 ± 2.73 ppm, showing acceptable agreement within 12% according to GC/MS method validation criteria. Multivariate analyses using PCA and HCA showed that M. pulcherrima KCTC 27502-fermented Omija wine clustered closely with the commercial Omija wine Saint House, and this similarity was further supported by a low euclidean distance value 35.15, whereas S. cerevisiae KCTC 7906-fermented Omija wine was clearly separated from all other samples. PCA biplot analysis further indicated that ethyl acetate was the major compound contributing to the clustering of M. pulcherrima KCTC 27502-fermented Omija wine with the Saint House Omija wine. During fermentation, viable cell counts increased concomitantly with a decrease in sugar content. The final product exhibited a pH of 3.63, a residual sugar content of 15 °Brix, and an alcohol content of 0%. Total polyphenol and flavonoid contents were higher than those typically reported for white wines. Sensory evaluation using QDA profiles showed that the non-alcoholic Omija wine achieved enhanced body and finish compared to a commercial non-alcoholic wine, indicating its sensory acceptability a non-alcoholic wine. These results indicate that M. pulcherrima KCTC 27502 is a promising microorganism for producing non-alcoholic Omija wine with an aroma profile comparable to commercial products.