Winemaking
Yeast: cultured and ambient
Whether to add a selected yeast strain or let the grapes and cellar do it.
Overview
Cultured yeast gives predictability: a known strain with known behaviour, temperature tolerance and aromatic contribution. It is why commercial Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is so consistent.
Ambient or wild fermentation relies on the mixed yeast population already present. It is slower, less predictable and carries a risk of sticking, and is often credited with more complexity.
Neither is inherently better. The trade-off is between reliability and the possibility of something more distinctive.
Sources
Sources consulted
- WSET educational materials and the Systematic Approach to Tasting — Wine & Spirit Education Trust
- The Australian Wine Research Institute — AWRI
More in winemaking
Winemaking
Fermentation
Yeast converting sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide — the step that makes wine wine.
Winemaking
How red wine is made
Fermenting grape juice in contact with the skins, which is where colour and tannin come from.
Winemaking
How white wine is made
Pressing the juice off the skins before fermentation, then fermenting the clear juice.