Liquid Yeast for Home Winemakers

 When most people think of a great wine and what sets it apart from other wines, they typically look to the usual suspects: grape variety and quality, composition of the grape must, viticulture (soil, water management, vine canopy, ripeness), and vinification (grape crushing, must treatment, skin contact). Very few would even consider the art of fermentation as an important part of winemaking. However, as many professional and hobby brewers know, the yeast fermentation plays a critical role in producing unique flavor and aroma compounds in both beer and wine. In wine, the role of yeast is underestimated. The minor metabolites produced by yeast during fermentation are crucial to the sensory profile of any wine. Because yeast is a live, active component of fermentation, many shy away from learning much about it. Yeast can be complicated and fickle, and can sometimes cause a great deal of head-scratching when they don’t perform as expected. Nonetheless,  being well-versed yeast biology is one of the most important weapons in a vintners arsenal. Yeast in Winemaking Although winemaking is an age-old practice, little was known