| Summary: | Viognier is a warm climate grape variety prone to loss of acidity and accumulation of excessive sugars. The yeast <i>Lachancea thermotolerans</i> can improve the stability and balance of such wines due to the partial conversion of sugars to lactic acid during alcoholic fermentation. This study compared the performance of five <i>L. thermotolerans</i> strains in co-inoculations and sequential inoculations with <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i> in high sugar/pH Viognier fermentations. The results highlighted the dichotomy between the non-acidified and the bio-acidified <i>L. thermotolerans</i> treatments, with either comparable or up to 0.5 units lower pH relative to the <i>S. cerevisiae</i> control. Significant differences were detected in a range of flavour-active yeast volatile metabolites. The perceived acidity mirrored the modulations in wine pH/TA, as confirmed via “Rate-All-That-Apply” sensory analysis. Despite major variations in the volatile composition and acidity alike, the varietal aromatic expression (i.e., stone fruit aroma/flavour) remained conserved between the treatments.
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