Abstract
Yeasts are intimately involved in the production of fermented alcoholic
beverages being the most popular examples of beer, cider and wine. The present
chapter reviews the impact of yeasts in the production of these three fermented
beverages and focuses on recent innovation trends regarding the use of nonconventional
yeasts for the increase of flavour complexity and/or the development of
novel special products that better meet current customer’s demands. The granting of
regional identity by using locally sourced yeast strains is also revised, and the
experience gathered in the region of Andean Patagonia (Argentina) related to the
isolation, screening, selection, improvement (in some cases) and all the way to the
industrial application is described. North-western Patagonia natural forests harbour
yeasts species of great scientific and fundamental relevance, among which the
cryotolerant species Saccharomyces uvarum and Saccharomyces eubayanus are the
most important for this chapter. The successful cases reviewed here of the study and
application of Patagonian cold-adapted wild Saccharomyces yeasts for beer, cider, and
wine innovation demonstrate that the laborious journey from nature to industry
application is feasible and advantageous.
Keywords: Andes, Argentina, Beer, Cider, Craft industry, Euby, Hybridization, Microbe domestication, Native starter, Native yeast, Natural environments, Patagonia, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Saccharomyces eubayanus, Saccharomyces uvarum, Selective isolation, Wild yeast, Wine, Yeast bioprospection, Yeast isolation.
