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Yeast Strains Chart

Five companies – Lallemand (Lalvin), Red Star, Vintner’s Harvest, White Labs, and Wyeast – produce the vast majority of wine-yeast used by home wine makers in North America. Here’s an up-to-date overview of the yeast strains these firms sell in small packages intended for home hobbyists, which is generally five grams for dry yeast packets and 35 to 175 mL for liquid vials or packets. In either format, this is the right amount to inoculate a 5-gallon (19-L) batch. There are other companies and other strains, but these are the most common; you can find them at most home winemaking supply stores.

CompanyYeast NameDry/
Liquid
Temperature RangeAlcohol Tolerance (%ABV)Description
Lalvin71B-1122 NarbonneDry59-86 °F
(15-32 °C)
14%A semi-dry white wine yeast that will enhance fruit flavors and add fruity esters. Can be used with whites, rosés, nouveaus, and concentrates.
LalvinBM 4X4 Red WineDry60-82 °F
(16-28 °C)
16%A blend of strains formulated for reliability under difficult conditions. Gives a dependable fermentation with increased mouthfeel, and enhances tobacco, cedar, leather and jam characteristics.
LalvinD-47 White WineDry50-86 °F
(10-30 °C)
14%Leaves a wine very full bodied with enhanced mouthfeel. Accentuates varietal character and contributes ripe tropical fruit and citrus notes.
LalvinEC-1118 Prise de MousseDry45-95 °F
(7-35 °C)
18%A low foaming, vigorous and fast fermenter good for both reds and whites. It is also ideal for ciders and sparkling wines.
LalvinICV-K1-V1116 Motpellier White WineDry59-86 °F
(15-30 °C)
18%A vigorous and competitive fermenter that, because of its neutral effect on varietal character, is very well suited to fruit wines as well as wines to be made from grapes.
LalvinQA23 White WineDry59-89 °F
(15-32 °C)
16%Portuguese isolate used for production of fresh, fruity, white wines. Will not give structure to a wine, but it excels at focusing the fruit either alone or as part of a blend.
LalvinRC-212 Red WineDry59-86 °F
(15-30 °C)
14%Ideal for full bodied red wines. Emphasizes fruit and spice notes, accentuates character in red grapes.
Red StarCote Des BlancDry55-86 °F
(13-30 °C)
14%One of the most traditional aromatic strains for white wines. An excellent choice for fruity wines.
Red StarMontrachetDry54-95 °F
(12-35 °C)
15%A very good fermenter with regular kinetics. Good alcohol tolerance that is useful in producing dry, full-bodied red and white wines. Excellent choice for oak barrel fermentation.
Red StarPasteur Blanc (ex Pasteur Champagne)Dry50-95 °F
(10-35 °C)
18%All-purpose and vigorous, a moderately foaming and sulfite-tolerant strain useful in producing white and red wines. Extremely good fermenter. Very high alcohol tolerance. Recommended for treating stuck fermentations.
Red StarPasteur RedDry63-86 °F
(17-30 °C)
15%One of the best choices for quality red wines. Encourages development of varietal fruit flavors, balanced by complex aromas.
Red StarPremier CuveeDry50-104 °F
(10-40 °C)
16%One of the fastest, cleanest, and most neutral of all Red Star wine yeasts. Recommended for reds, whites and especially sparkling wines. Excellent choice for oak barrel fermentations.
Vintner’s HarvestAW4 Saccharomyces CerevisiaeDry68-77 °F
(20–25 °C)
14.5%Noted for developing powerfully fragrant, full-spice aromatic wines and is a perfect match for Germanic aromatic white wines.
Vintner’s HarvestBV7 Saccharomyces CerevisiaeDry59-86 °F
(15–30 °C)
13%Ideal for full-bodied, full-flavored dry and sweet white wines.
Vintner’s HarvestCL23 Saccharomyces BavanusDry46-75 °F
(7–24 °C)
18%Ideal for crisp, fresh dry white/blush and all sparkling wines. Also for high-alcohol tolerance.
Vintner’s HarvestCR51 Saccharomyces CerevisiaeDry72-86 °F
(22–30 °C)
13.5%Ideal for light, fruity red wines for early consumption
Vintner’s HarvestCY17 Saccharomyces  CerevisiaeDry72-86 °F
(22–30 °C)
15%Ideal for sweet white/blush and dessert wines from grape and particularly from country fruits and flowers.
Vintner’s HarvestMA33 Saccharomyces CerevisiaeDry64-80 °F
(18–27 °C)
14%Acid reducing strain excellent for fruity white & blush country wines especially where residual sugars are desired.
Vintner’s HarvestR56 Saccharomyces CerevisiaeDry72-86 °F
(22–30 °C)
13.5%Ideally suited for rich, full bodied red wines with exceptional flavor complexity.
Vintner’s HarvestSN9 Saccharomyces BavanusDry68-75 °F
(20–24 °C)
18%Good choice for high alcohol and fortified wines but also for most country wines, sweet sparkling wines and ciders.
Vintner’s HarvestVR21 Saccharomyces CerevisiaeDry68-75 °F
(20–24 °C)
15%Ideal for full fruit varietal and country red wines promoting good structure, balance and color.
White LabsWLP700 Flor SherryLiquid>70 °F
(>21 °C)
16%Develops a film (flor) on the surface of the wine. Creates green almond, granny smith, and nougat characteristics found in Sherry.
White LabsWLP705 SakeLiquid>70 °F
(>21 °C)
16%For rice-based fermentations. Produces full body sake character, and subtle fragrance.
White LabsWLP707 California Pinot NoirLiquid>70 °F
(>21 °C)
16%Produces fruity and complex aromas. An ideal choice for hardy red wine varieties, as well as aromatic whites such as Chardonnay.
White LabsWLP709 Sake #9Liquid62-68 °F
(17-20 °C)
15–16%For use in rice-based fermentations. Traditional strain used in Ginjo-shu production because of the yeast’s development of high fragrance components.
White LabsWLP715 ChampagneLiquid70-75 °F
(21-24 °C)
17%Neutral, classic yeast, used to produce sparkling wine, cider, dry meads, and dry wines.
White LabsWLP718 Avise Wine YeastLiquid60-90 °F
(16-32 °C)
15%Champagne isolate used for complexity in whites. Contributes elegance, especially in barrel-fermented Chardonnays.
White LabsWLP720 Sweet Mead and WineLiquid70-75 °F
(21-24 °C)
15%Less attenuative than WLP715, leaving some residual sweetness. Slightly fruity, a good choice for sweet mead, cider, as well as blush wines, Gewürztraminer, Sauternes, and Riesling.
White LabsWLP727 Steinberg-GeisenheimLiquid50-90 °F
(10-32 °C)
14%High fruit/ester production. Perfect for Riesling and Gewürztraminer. Moderate fermentation characteristics and cold-tolerant.
White LabsWLP730 Chardonnay White WineLiquid50-90 °F
(10-32 °C)
14%Dry wine yeast with moderate fermentation speed. Slight ester production, low sulfur dioxide production. A good choice for all white and blush wines.
White LabsWLP735 French White Wine YeastLiquid60-90 °F
(16-32 °C)
16%Classic yeast for white wine fermentation. Slow to moderate fermenter and foam producer. Gives an enhanced creamy texture.
White LabsWLP740 Merlot Red Wine YeastLiquid60-90 °F
(16-32 °C)
18%Neutral, low fusel alcohol production. Vigorous fermentation.
White LabsWLP749 AssmanshausenLiquid50-90 °F
(10-32 °C)
16%German red wine yeast, which results in spicy, fruit aromas. Perfect for Pinot Noir and Zinfandel. Slow to moderate fermenter which is cold tolerant.
White LabsWLP750 French Red Wine YeastLiquid60-90 °F
(16-32 °C)
17%Classic Bordeaux yeast for red wine fermentations. Moderate fermentation characteristics. Tolerates lower fermentation temperatures. Rich, smooth flavor profile.
White LabsWLP760 Cabernet Red Wine YeastLiquid60-90 °F
(16-32 °C)
16%Moderate fermentation speed. Excellent for full-bodied red wines, ester production complements flavor.
White LabsWLP770 Suremain Burgundy Wine YeastLiquid60-90 °F
(16-32 °C)
16%Emphasizes fruit aromas in barrel fermentations. High nutrient requirement to avoid volatile acidity production.
White LabsWLP775 English CiderLiquid68-75 °F
(20-24 °C)
Medium-HighFerments dry, but retains flavor from apples. Sulfur is produced during fermentation, but will disappear in first two weeks of aging.
Wyeast4021 Dry White/SparklingLiquid55-75 °F
(13-24 °C)
17%Ferments crisp and dry, ideal for base wines in making sparkling wine. Low foaming, excellent barrel fermentation, good flocculating characteristics.
Wyeast4028 RedLiquid55-90 °F,
(13-32 °C)
14%Ideal for red or white wines that mature rapidly with Beaujolais type fruitiness, and for bigger reds requiring aging. Low foaming, low sulfur production.
Wyeast4134 SakeLiquid60-75 °F
(15-24 °C)
14%Sake #9 used in conjunction with Koji for making wide variety of Asian Jius (rice based beverages). Full bodied profile, silky and smooth on palate with low ester production.
Wyeast4184 Sweet MeadLiquid65-75 °F
(18-24 °C)
11%Leaves 2-3% residual sugar in most meads. Rich, fruity profile complements fruit mead fermentation. Use additional nutrients for mead making.
Wyeast4242 Fruity WhiteLiquid55-75 °F
(13-24 °C)
12-13%Produces extremely fruity profile, high ester formation, bready aromas with vanilla notes.
Wyeast4244 Italian RedLiquid55-75 °F
(13-24 °C)
14%Rich, very big and bold, well-rounded profile. Nice soft fruit character with dry crisp finish.
Wyeast4267 SummationLiquid60-90°F,
(15-32 °C)
14%Produces distinctive intense berry, graham cracker nose. Jammy, rich, very smooth complex profile, slightly vinous.
Wyeast4632 Dry MeadLiquid55-75 °F
(13-24 °C)
18%Low foaming with little or no sulfur production. Use additional nutrients for mead making.
Wyeast4766 CiderLiquid60-75 °F
(15-24 °C)
12%Crisp and dry fermenting yeast with big, fruity finish. Creates a nice balance for all types of apples, pears, and other fruit. Allows fruit character to dominate the profile
Wyeast4767 Dry/FortifiedLiquid60-90°F,
(15-32 °C)
14%Mild toast and vanilla nose. Mild fruit profile with balanced depth and complexity. Very dry finish. Dry red and white wines.
Wyeast4783 Sweet WhiteLiquid55-75 °F
(13-24 °C)
14%Produces distinct Riesling character. Rich flavor, creamy, fruity profile with nice dry finish and a hint of Riesling sweetness in the aftertaste.
Wyeast4946 Bold Red/High AlcoholLiquid60-85 °F
(15–29 °C)
18%Dominating, strong fermentation characteristics. Ideal for Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, Syrah, or any high sugar must. Good choice for restarting stuck fermentations.