## 4 Conclusions  
This study demonstrated that fermentation with the investigated _S. paradoxxus_ yeast strain significantly influenced the physico-chemical composition of Malvazija istarska wine compared to the standard _S. cerevisiae_. While the harvest year had a marked qualitative and quantitative impact, several distinctive effects of _S. paradoxxus_ fermentation were consistent across both seasons, suggesting the existence of metabolic features characteristic for this yeast. For instance, the decrease in malic acid and the increase in glycerol levels confirmed previous findings on _S. paradoxxus_ fermentation performance. This yeast was also associated with reduced levels of other organic acids and specific phenolic compounds like _p_-coumaric acid and _trans_-resveratrol. It caused a less pronounced reduction in pathogenesis-related chitinases than reported in earlier studies. On the other hand, _S. paradoxxus_ fermentation resulted in increased levels of volatile acidity, pH, and particular thaumatin-like proteins compared to control _S. cerevisiae_ wines. With 474 volatile compounds identified, the in-depth GC \(\times\) GC/MS-TOF analysis, combined with standard GC techniques, provided the most comprehensive insight into the changes to the wine volatile profile caused by _S. paradoxxus_ fermentation reported to date. The investigated _S. paradoxxus_ strain was found to produce slightly lower levels of several key odoriferous alcohols, fatty acids, and esters compared to _S. cerevisiae_. This suggests a potentially weaker expression of the corresponding aromas in these wines. Nevertheless, _S. paradoxxus_ produced higher levels of other important volatiles, including \(\beta\)-damascenone, acetaldehyde, isobutyric acid, ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, ethyl acetate, isobutyl acetate, various esters of succinic and lactic acids, and 4-vinylguaiacol, as well as numerous other compounds that may possibly contribute to wine sensory quality. These characteristics suggest that _S. paradoxxus_ produces a distinct aroma sensory profile and may be an interesting alternative in white wine production. It could be used either for standalone fermentation, the production of blending components, or as a fermentation starter. Variations observed between this study and prior research, alongside the observed significant effects of harvest year, highlight the need for further research to optimize the selection of _S. paradoxxus_ strains for improved oenological performance. Future studies should also focus on the response of _S. paradoxxus_ to different fermentation conditions and evaluate its potential for red winemaking. The following supporting information can be downloaded at: [[https://www.mdpi.com/article/10.3390/app142311362/s1](https://www.mdpi.com/article/10.3390/app142311362/s1)]([https://www.mdpi.com/article/10.3390/app142311362/s1](https://www.mdpi.com/article/10.3390/app142311362/s1)), Table S1: Concentration of parameters and compounds (means and standard deviations) found in Malvazija istarska white wines produced by fermentation with _Saccharomyces cerevisiae_ (SCE) and _Saccharomyces paradoxxus_ (SPA) yeasts in two harvest years (2021, 2022). Conceptualization, I.L. ; methodology, I.L., A.H., I.R., T.V.Z. and U.V. ; validation, I.L. and S.C.; formal analysis, D.D.S., I.H. and S.C.; investigation, I.L., D.D.S., I.H., I.P., A.H., I.R., T.V.Z., S.C. and U.V. ; resources, I.L. and U.V. ; data curation, I.L., D.D.S., I.H., I.P. and S.C.; writing--original draft preparation, I.L. ; writing--review and editing, I.L., D.D.S., I.H., I.P., A.H., I.R., T.V.Z., S.C. and U.V. ; visualization, I.L. and I.P. ; supervision, I.L. and U.V. ; project administration, I.L. ; funding acquisition, I.L. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript. This research was funded by the Croatian Science Foundation, grant number IP-2020-02-4551. Not applicable. The original contributions presented in this study are included in the article; further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author.