Sequential Inoculation with Selected Indigenous Yeasts Enhances the Aroma Profiles and Typicity of White Wines from Yantai, China

The Yantai region in China, despite its ideal viticultural conditions, faces a challenge in producing white wines with distinct regional typicity. This study explores the potential of indigenous yeast strains-specifically, the <i>Hanseniaspora uvarum</i> H30 and <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i> YT13, both isolated and identified from the Yantai vineyard environment-to enhance the aroma profiles and overall quality of white wines from this region. Italian Riesling and Petit Manseng grapes were fermented with two commercial <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i> strains (EC1118 and Tropical/X16) and a sequential inoculation of the locally sourced <i>Hanseniaspora uvarum</i> H30 (with high β-glucosidase activity) followed by <i>S. cerevisiae</i> YT13. The results showed that sequential inoculation with H30 + YT13 significantly enhanced the concentration of key ester compounds and uniquely increased terpene levels. Notably, valuable terpenes such as farnesol and nerolidol were exclusively detected in the H30 + YT13 group for Italian Riesling. Sensory analysis confirmed that these chemical changes translated into higher scores for floral and fruity attributes in the sequentially inoculated wines. These findings demonstrate that sequential inoculation with indigenous yeasts effectively enhances the aromatic complexity and varietal typicity of white wines from Yantai, providing a promising strategy for developing wines with stronger regional identity.