The joint, international 2019-2.2.1-EUREKA project of ADEXGO Ltd. and Széchenyi István University entitled "Exploitation of local biodiversity of yeasts for wine production" has been closed.

The project, led by Romanian company SC ICA Research and Development SRL, included two other Romanian partners: SC Pharmacorp Innovation SRL and the University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest (USAMVB). Concluding on 31 August 2024, the project’s main objective was to develop innovative processes for winemaking and wine testing. Over the three-year grant period, a methodology was developed that incorporated advanced rapid testing technologies, including non-destructive near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), optoelectronic and gas chromatography (GC) electronic nose, as well as biological membrane-coated ion-selective field-effect transistor (ISFET) sensors with an electronic tongue, alongside classical testing methods.

This technology enabled the identification of specific wine types and the detection of wines with taste or smell defects. It was successfully applied to evaluate the quality of experimental wines produced with oenological technology developed by the Romanian consortium, and to objectively characterise wines made with particular yeast strains and their combinations.

The results showed that integrating different quality testing protocols into a single system is a valuable tool for innovative oenological development, complementing human sensory evaluation and targeted chemical tests. This complex wine quality testing technology will enhance the services offered by the Correltech division of ADEXGO Ltd. and Széchenyi István University.