The use of commercial starter cultures (SCs) by the wine industry has long ensured manageable and safe fermentations by limiting the activity of spoilage microbiota and the production of harmful compounds of microbial origin. However, in the recent years the use of modern technologies in wine production may imply emerging risks for product safety and quality. Exemplificative cases of such novel practices include spontaneous fermentations conducted without the addition of SCs, reduced addition of preservatives or use of SCs for wines of low alcohol levels. These approaches are compatible with consumers’ preferences for superior wines of regional characteristics made through natural and organic procedures and also protect consumers’ health. On the other hand, these techniques may allow the development of unwanted microorganisms that depreciate quality or spoil wine and pose health risks through the production of harmful compounds, such as biogenic amines. Therefore, there is a need to improve the management of microbial resources in wine production. The current needs in the wine market far surpass the one-fits-all scenario in the use of SCs. Various novel SCs should be developed to appease the existing trends with the assurances of high standards in winemaking. In this section we focus on, but are not limited to, innovative approaches able to conciliate consumer-oriented emerging trends with the high quality and safety standards assured by SC technology.

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