During wine aging, tobacco and balsamic aroma notes appear. In this paper, volatile compounds directly or potentially related to those aromas have been investigated in Corvina and Corvinone wines during aging. Corvina and Corvinone are two northern-Italy autochthonous red grape varieties, used to produce Valpolicella Classico and Amarone wines, both characterized by tobacco and balsamic aroma notes. Wines were analyzed shortly after bottling or following model aging at 60°C for 48, 72, and 168 h. Volatile compounds were analyzed by HS-SPME-GC-MS. Results showed that compounds related to tobacco aroma [β-damascenone, 3-oxo-α-ionol, (E)-1-(2,3,6-Trimethylphenyl)-buta-1,3-diene (TPB), and megastigmatrienones] increased in relationship to storage time with different patterns. β-Damascenone and 3-oxo-α-ionol rapidly increased to reach a plateau in the first 48–72 h of model aging. Instead, TPB and megastigmatrienones concentration showed a linear correlation with aging time. During model aging, several cyclic terpenes tended to increase. Among them 1,8-cineole and 1,4-cineole, previously reported to contribute to red wine eucalyptus notes increased proportionally to storage time, and this behavior was clearly associated with reactions involving α-terpineol, limonene, and terpinolene, as confirmed by studies with model wine solutions. Among other relevant volatile compounds, sesquiterpenes appear to contribute potentially balsamic and spicy aroma notes. In this study, linear sesquiterpenes (nerolidol, farnesol) underwent acid hydrolysis during long wine aging, while cyclic sesquiterpenes seemed to increase with time. The chemical pathways associated with evolution of some of the compounds investigated have been studied in model wine.

Kombucha is a fermented tea with a long history of production and consumption. It has been gaining popularity thanks to its refreshing taste and assumed beneficial properties. The microbial community responsible for tea fermentation—acetic acid bacteria (AAB), yeasts, and lactic acid bacteria (LAB)—is mainly found embedded in an extracellular cellulosic matrix located at the liquid–air interphase. To optimize the production process and investigate the contribution of individual strains, a collection of 26 unique strains was established from an artisanal-scale kombucha production; it included 13 AAB, 12 yeasts, and one LAB. Among these, distinctive strains, namely Novacetimonas hansenii T7SS-4G1, Brettanomyces bruxellensis T7SB-5W6, and Zygosaccharomyces parabailii T7SS-4W1, were used in mono- and co-culture fermentations. The monocultures highlighted important species-specific differences in the metabolism of sugars and organic acids, while binary co-cultures demonstrated the roles played by bacteria and yeasts in the production of cellulose and typical volatile acidity. Aroma complexity and sensory perception were comparable between reconstructed (with the three strains) and native microbial consortia. This study provided a broad picture of the strains’ metabolic signatures, facilitating the standardization of kombucha production in order to obtain a product with desired characteristics by modulating strains presence or abundance.