How Yeast Can Help You Make Better Wine.
The flavor, fragrance, and appearance of a wine after it has been bottled may all be influenced by a variety of circumstances. Here are some examples:
However, just because the grape type is the most important factor does not rule out the influence of other factors like soil quality, barrel age, and fermentation processes, which may all significantly alter the taste of a wine.
In the midst of these important participants is an element that is sometimes forgotten when discussing wine: the yeast culture.
Quite simply, yeast is necessary for the production of wine. Without yeast, wine would not be produced at all. Wine without yeast would be just grape juice, with no discernible amount of alcohol in the final product.
Yeast is a microscopic creature that is responsible for a variety of different processes that contribute to the creation of wine, however, the majority of people are unaware that yeast is involved at all.
The good news is that a little bit of information about wine yeasts may go a long way and can be used to make informed decisions when making your next purchase.
What exactly are Yeasts?
Although the majority of people are acquainted with the term, how many are aware of what yeasts are or how they function? Yeasts are single-celled fungi at their most basic level (yes, fungi).
The job of yeast in the production of wine and beer is to convert the sugars from the grapes (or, in the case of beer, the malts) into alcohol.
Yeasts are naturally occurring and may be found all about us; in fact, while you read this, there is yeast on your skin.
When wine grapes are produced in vineyards, it seems to reason that yeasts would accumulate on the grapes, which is really one of the primary reasons why wine exists in the first place.
If you were to pluck a bucketful of grapes and crush them down to release their juices, they would very certainly begin to ferment as a result of the heat.
How? When the wild yeasts existing on the grape skins start working, they may be able to complete the fermentation process, resulting in the production of what is often referred to as “natural” wine, or “wild” wine in certain circles.
The fact that winemaking had to begin somewhere, and since fermentation was not completely known at the time, it’s possible that this circumstance resulted in the earliest documented occurrences of wine production throughout history.
Wild yeasts are quite wonderful organisms, particularly when you consider that many of them are able to tolerate the fermentation process and survive.
However, the reality is that many forms of yeast die long before the required alcohol concentration for a glass of wine can be achieved, which is where commercial yeast variations come into play.
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Commercial yeasts against indigenous yeasts.
Commercial yeast was initially introduced to the market as a means of addressing the problem of winemakers experiencing “stuck” fermentation that we’re unable to complete their processes.
After beginning as rugged and primitive, commercial yeasts have evolved to become highly focused and typically intended to operate with certain sorts of grapes or styles of wine. In recent years, scientists have been able to identify and duplicate natural yeasts from certain places, which has had a significant impact on how wine is made around the globe.
Even while there are plenty of industry specialists who will sing the praises of commercial yeasts on a daily basis, this does not imply that everyone is on board.
As a result of the widespread belief that marketed yeasts are contributing to the homogeneity of wine culture, some winemakers are choosing to forego the use of commercially manufactured yeasts in favor of working with naturally occurring yeasts.
When going back through history, there are several wine-producing regions that have become well-known for the distinctive tastes that they impart to their wines. Most people felt that the reason for this was due to variations in soil and terroir, but the wine was soon discovered that local yeasts found on equipment and in the cellars were responsible for the regional changes in flavor.
A growing number of producers are turning to the past and welcoming wild, native yeasts with open arms.
Many go to considerable efforts to ensure that the environment in which the wine is created and matured does not alter in any way that may have an impact on the yeast populations in the wine. In contrast to winemakers who put a strong emphasis on religious cleaning techniques and who are greatly concerned about the “off” tastes that wild yeasts might produce in a glass of wine, these folks believe that wild yeasts can produce in a wine.
Yeast and flavoring agents
There’s no getting around the reality that yeast may have a significant impact on the taste of wine, regardless of whether it’s been declared to be “off.” While the fermentation process is taking place, yeast is responsible for the great majority of the flavor that is imparted to the wine.
These are often referred to as “secondary tastes,” although they may have a significant impact on the “main” flavors of wine — that is, the flavors inherent in the grape or grapes used in fermentation — if they are not handled properly.
Due to the fact that not all yeasts are created equal, some strains will impart distinct characteristics to a wine that other strains will not.
There are a few distinct categories of taste qualities that are imparted to a wine by yeast that is worth noting. The first of these tastes may be characterized as “creamy.” These may range from subtle hints of cream cheese or tart sour cream to more mellow butter or buttermilk flavors, among others.
While these aromas are not precisely what most people think of when they think of wine, particular grapes may perform very well when paired with yeasts that produce flavors that are close to or identical to these sensations.
Following that, there comes the taste profile is known as “bready.” Yeasts play an important role in the production of many wines, including those that taste like sourdough bread or lager beer.
If you’ve ever tasted a wine that reminded you of sourdough bread or lager beer, there’s a good chance that these characteristics were derived from the yeasts used in the production.
Bready tastes are particularly prevalent in sparkling wines, such as Champagne, although they may also be found in certain red wines, including some Bordeaux.
Natural wines are often associated with sour notes that are produced by yeast in the winemaking process.
Despite the fact that many casual wine consumers consider wines that taste sour to be “wrong,” the final result is sometimes purposeful and may result in some of the most unusual wines a person is likely to experience.
Yeast may not always be the center of attention, but it is an essential component in the making of wine and requires a more in-depth knowledge than the majority of people have of the process.
Want to see what it’s actually capable of? Take a look at this video. You’ll almost certainly come across more robust wild yeasts if you start exploring with natural wines; this is a given.
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