Fecha de publicación: -- Fuente: PubMed "wine" Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2026 Nov 7:1-30. doi: 10.1080/10408398.2026.2755721. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTFruit wine fermentation involves a complex microbial ecosystem in which microbial metabolism and interspecies interactions collectively determine product quality. Although Saccharomyces cerevisiae-dominated fermentation ensures high efficiency and stability, its limited metabolic diversity restricts flavor complexity. Mixed-culture fermentation (MCF) has emerged as a promising strategy to improve fruit wine quality by leveraging the functional complementarity of diverse microorganisms. This review summarizes recent advances in MCF for fruit wine production, focusing on functional strains, mechanisms of microbial interaction, quality regulation, influencing factors, and industrial challenges. The roles of S. cerevisiae, non-Saccharomyces yeasts, lactic acid bacteria, and emerging microorganisms in regulating fermentation performance, aroma formation, organic acid balance, and the production of bioactive compounds are discussed. Furthermore, key interaction mechanisms are summarized, including nutrient competition, metabolite-mediated regulation, cell-to-cell contact, antagonism, and quorum sensing. These mechanisms collectively influence microbial succession and metabolic outcomes. Despite its potential for enhancing sensory complexity and functional properties, MCF faces challenges related to process controllability, strain commercialization, fermentation stability, and regulatory frameworks. Future studies should integrate multi-omics approaches and rational microbial consortium design to promote industrial application of MCF in fruit wine.PMID:42998095 | DOI:10.1080/10408398.2026.2755721