Latin America's own vineyard bacteria could give Chardonnay a local accent

The bacteria that soften Chardonnay's acidity usually come from a catalogue. Researchers in Chile and Mexico went looking in local vineyards instead, screening native lactic-acid bacteria as alternative starters for the wine's second, softening fermentation. Their standout strain passed fermentation performance and safety checks and nudged the finished wine toward more floral, fruity and creamy aromas. The commercial starter still converts acid fastest, but the work shows that Latin America's own microbial diversity could give its wines flavours no imported culture can copy.

SDG 9 · Industry, innovation and infrastructure — Mechanism: tech innovation