Cashew wine and volatile compounds produced during fermentation by non-Saccharomyces and Saccharomyces yeast

Abstract Making wines from tropical fruits with pleasant sensory characteristics has gradually gained potential as a new product within the beverages market. In this study, the ability to ferment cashew apple juice of non-Saccharomyces strains previously isolated from tropical fruits and Saccharomyces were evaluated, as well as their production of desirable volatile compounds. The isolates Torulaspora delbrueckii and Hanseniaspora opuntiae showed higher fermentative capacities in co-fermentations with Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The simple and co-fermentative process of the cashew must with these yeasts leads to a highly desirable production of volatile compounds such as phenethyl alcohol, 2-phenethyl acetate and 3-methyl-1-pentanol, and these favoured the organoleptic properties of the product. The concentrations of acetic acid during fermentation were in the range of 0.2–0.5 g/L, which is considered desirable to contribute towards the aromas and flavours of fruit wines. These results highlighted the role of yeast isolates from fruits on cashew juice fermentation and its production of desirable volatile compounds to produce cashew wine.