Wine Yeasts

Yeasts are microorganisms classified in the kingdom Fungi. They have around 1,500 species, and they dominate the fungal diversity in the oceans. Well, enough of the scientific jargon. We are really bothered about wine yeasts here. Wine yeasts are yeasts specially cultured for winemaking. They have certain desirable attributes such as high alcohol tolerance (that is, they will allow the wine to ferment further and gain strength before they die out), firmer sediment formation (allows for a much simpler racking), and are less likely to impart off flavours to the wine.

Home winemaking has made big strides due to fact that several excellent varieties of wine yeasts are now accessible to the amateur winemaker. These wine yeasts are available in either culture or tablet form. It is possible to acquire Champagne, Port, Sherry, Malaga, Sauterne, and Burgundy yeasts, among others. Yeasts are taken from the grapes in the place of origin and then cultured in laboratories to make these special wine yeasts.

It is advisable that a novice winemaker should experiment first with general-purpose wine yeast rather than a specialised one. Moreover, the winemaker should choose the suitable grape variety in which to employ certain wine yeast. For instance, Port yeast should be employed in a red wine such as damson or elderberry, and Champagne yeast in a sparkling wine. Specialised yeasts can also be used for brewing beer, lager and ale.

Many home winemakers still make use of the brewer’s yeast in spite of the fact that several excellent wine yeasts are now available in the market. It is fun to experiment with different varieties of wine yeasts and enjoy the different nuances of taste that they bring to the wine.