## 3 Results and Discussion
### Yeast Growth and Enological Parameters during Fermentation  
Fermentation kinetics were monitored for each single monoculture by sugar consumption. Figure 1 shows the glucose and fructose consumption during the AF of pasteurized Assyrtiko must under the different inoculation schemes. The microbiological analysis affirmed the initial inoculum concentration (0 h) and the survival of the inoculated strains at 48 h. The population of the inoculum in all modalities at 48 h ranged from 7.8 \(\pm\) 0.02 to 8.2 \(\pm\) 0.05 log CFU/mL. After 20 days of fermentation at 18 \({}^{\circ}\)C, two strains (Pc-K21Y9, Pm-K34Y10) could not lead to dry wines. Pc-K21Y9 demonstrated fructophilic behavior, since fructose was catabolized quickly, but it could not catabolize glucose, while the residual sugars were estimated at 24.7 \(\pm\) 1.4 g/L. The term \"fructophilic\" refers to the preferential capacity of metabolizing fructose when both fructose and glucose are present in high concentrations in the surrounding environment [46]. Additionally, the strain Pm-K34Y10, after 20 days of AF, could not catabolize a concentration of 20.8 \(\pm\) 2.2 g of glucose/L and 51.78 \(\pm\) 3.0 g fructose/L. All fermentations that were performed with _Z. bailii_ and _T. californica_ strains led to dry wines. More specifically, Zb-A19Y5, Zb-K29Y2, Tc-A9Y1, and Zb-K16Y1 completed alcoholic fermentation at 12, 16, 20, and 16 days, respectively. A recent study investigated 20 indigenous _S. cerevisiae_'s fermentative capacity using the same pasteurized Assyrtiko must, under the same laboratory conditions [2]. The majority of these strains had completed alcoholic fermentation after 9 days. Consequently, the investigated non-_Saccharomyces_ are characterized by a lower fermentation rate compared to _S. cerevisiae_'s tarters. It is widely recognized that some non-_Saccharomyces_ species are capable of surviving and persisting until the completion of fermentation, as they exhibit a heightened tolerance to ethanol [38]. Our results are in line with this observation, since the increment of alcohol did not significantly impact most of the species in this survey. Numerous non-_Saccharomyces_ yeasts have been explored for their fermentative capabilities, primarily in co-inoculation with _S. cerevisiae_, given their inability to complete alcoholic fermentation when used as monocultures [37; 40; 47; 48]. The fermentation rate of monocultures of non-_Saccharomyces_ species has been proven to be lower than those with monocultures of _S. cerevisiae_, sequential inoculations, or co-cultures of non-_Saccharomyces_ species with _S. cerevisiae_ strains. Nevertheless, it is worth noting that the successful completion of alcoholic fermentation by monocultures of non-_Saccharomyces_ species has already been reported [49; 50]. Notably, certain strains of the _Z. bailii_ species have been previously identified for their high fermentative efficiency, reaching up to 89% [49]. To provide a holistic and non-verbal evaluation of the resulting wines, a sensory analysis was performed. Based on the aroma bouquet of Assyrtiko wines, the determination of the differences among non-_Saccharomyces_ fermentation schemes was achieved. According to the free sorting assessment, wines were grouped according to their perceived similarity by panelists, and sensory descriptors were provided for each group (Figure 2). Two distinct groups are noticed. Firstly, the pink group (Pm-K34Y10, Zb-K16Y1, and Pc-K21Y9) was described by mainly negative attributes (oxidation, H2S, and other off-odor aromas). Additionally, the green group (Zb-K29Y2, Tc-A9Y1, and Zb-A19Y5) was associated with positive attributes such as \"fruitiness\", \"floral\", \"tropical fruits\", and \"apple\". The results were expected due to the abnormal fermentation of Pm-K34Y10 and Pc-K21Y9 strains. However, Zb-K29Y2 was the only _Z. bailii_ strain that exhibited off-flavor aromas.