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.
| Company | Yeast Name | Dry/ Liquid | Temperature Range | Alcohol Tolerance (%ABV) | Description |
| Lalvin | 71B-1122 Narbonne | Dry | 59-86 °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. |
| Lalvin | BM 4X4 Red Wine | Dry | 60-82 °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. |
| Lalvin | D-47 White Wine | Dry | 50-86 °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. |
| Lalvin | EC-1118 Prise de Mousse | Dry | 45-95 °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. |
| Lalvin | ICV-K1-V1116 Motpellier White Wine | Dry | 59-86 °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. |
| Lalvin | QA23 White Wine | Dry | 59-89 °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. |
| Lalvin | RC-212 Red Wine | Dry | 59-86 °F (15-30 °C) | 14% | Ideal for full bodied red wines. Emphasizes fruit and spice notes, accentuates character in red grapes. |
| Red Star | Cote Des Blanc | Dry | 55-86 °F (13-30 °C) | 14% | One of the most traditional aromatic strains for white wines. An excellent choice for fruity wines. |
| Red Star | Montrachet | Dry | 54-95 °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 Star | Pasteur Blanc (ex Pasteur Champagne) | Dry | 50-95 °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 Star | Pasteur Red | Dry | 63-86 °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 Star | Premier Cuvee | Dry | 50-104 °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 Harvest | AW4 Saccharomyces Cerevisiae | Dry | 68-77 °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 Harvest | BV7 Saccharomyces Cerevisiae | Dry | 59-86 °F (15–30 °C) | 13% | Ideal for full-bodied, full-flavored dry and sweet white wines. |
| Vintner’s Harvest | CL23 Saccharomyces Bavanus | Dry | 46-75 °F (7–24 °C) | 18% | Ideal for crisp, fresh dry white/blush and all sparkling wines. Also for high-alcohol tolerance. |
| Vintner’s Harvest | CR51 Saccharomyces Cerevisiae | Dry | 72-86 °F (22–30 °C) | 13.5% | Ideal for light, fruity red wines for early consumption |
| Vintner’s Harvest | CY17 Saccharomyces Cerevisiae | Dry | 72-86 °F (22–30 °C) | 15% | Ideal for sweet white/blush and dessert wines from grape and particularly from country fruits and flowers. |
| Vintner’s Harvest | MA33 Saccharomyces Cerevisiae | Dry | 64-80 °F (18–27 °C) | 14% | Acid reducing strain excellent for fruity white & blush country wines especially where residual sugars are desired. |
| Vintner’s Harvest | R56 Saccharomyces Cerevisiae | Dry | 72-86 °F (22–30 °C) | 13.5% | Ideally suited for rich, full bodied red wines with exceptional flavor complexity. |
| Vintner’s Harvest | SN9 Saccharomyces Bavanus | Dry | 68-75 °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 Harvest | VR21 Saccharomyces Cerevisiae | Dry | 68-75 °F (20–24 °C) | 15% | Ideal for full fruit varietal and country red wines promoting good structure, balance and color. |
| White Labs | WLP700 Flor Sherry | Liquid | >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 Labs | WLP705 Sake | Liquid | >70 °F (>21 °C) | 16% | For rice-based fermentations. Produces full body sake character, and subtle fragrance. |
| White Labs | WLP707 California Pinot Noir | Liquid | >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 Labs | WLP709 Sake #9 | Liquid | 62-68 °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 Labs | WLP715 Champagne | Liquid | 70-75 °F (21-24 °C) | 17% | Neutral, classic yeast, used to produce sparkling wine, cider, dry meads, and dry wines. |
| White Labs | WLP718 Avise Wine Yeast | Liquid | 60-90 °F (16-32 °C) | 15% | Champagne isolate used for complexity in whites. Contributes elegance, especially in barrel-fermented Chardonnays. |
| White Labs | WLP720 Sweet Mead and Wine | Liquid | 70-75 °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 Labs | WLP727 Steinberg-Geisenheim | Liquid | 50-90 °F (10-32 °C) | 14% | High fruit/ester production. Perfect for Riesling and Gewürztraminer. Moderate fermentation characteristics and cold-tolerant. |
| White Labs | WLP730 Chardonnay White Wine | Liquid | 50-90 °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 Labs | WLP735 French White Wine Yeast | Liquid | 60-90 °F (16-32 °C) | 16% | Classic yeast for white wine fermentation. Slow to moderate fermenter and foam producer. Gives an enhanced creamy texture. |
| White Labs | WLP740 Merlot Red Wine Yeast | Liquid | 60-90 °F (16-32 °C) | 18% | Neutral, low fusel alcohol production. Vigorous fermentation. |
| White Labs | WLP749 Assmanshausen | Liquid | 50-90 °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 Labs | WLP750 French Red Wine Yeast | Liquid | 60-90 °F (16-32 °C) | 17% | Classic Bordeaux yeast for red wine fermentations. Moderate fermentation characteristics. Tolerates lower fermentation temperatures. Rich, smooth flavor profile. |
| White Labs | WLP760 Cabernet Red Wine Yeast | Liquid | 60-90 °F (16-32 °C) | 16% | Moderate fermentation speed. Excellent for full-bodied red wines, ester production complements flavor. |
| White Labs | WLP770 Suremain Burgundy Wine Yeast | Liquid | 60-90 °F (16-32 °C) | 16% | Emphasizes fruit aromas in barrel fermentations. High nutrient requirement to avoid volatile acidity production. |
| White Labs | WLP775 English Cider | Liquid | 68-75 °F (20-24 °C) | Medium-High | Ferments dry, but retains flavor from apples. Sulfur is produced during fermentation, but will disappear in first two weeks of aging. |
| Wyeast | 4021 Dry White/Sparkling | Liquid | 55-75 °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. |
| Wyeast | 4028 Red | Liquid | 55-90 °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. |
| Wyeast | 4134 Sake | Liquid | 60-75 °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. |
| Wyeast | 4184 Sweet Mead | Liquid | 65-75 °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. |
| Wyeast | 4242 Fruity White | Liquid | 55-75 °F (13-24 °C) | 12-13% | Produces extremely fruity profile, high ester formation, bready aromas with vanilla notes. |
| Wyeast | 4244 Italian Red | Liquid | 55-75 °F (13-24 °C) | 14% | Rich, very big and bold, well-rounded profile. Nice soft fruit character with dry crisp finish. |
| Wyeast | 4267 Summation | Liquid | 60-90°F, (15-32 °C) | 14% | Produces distinctive intense berry, graham cracker nose. Jammy, rich, very smooth complex profile, slightly vinous. |
| Wyeast | 4632 Dry Mead | Liquid | 55-75 °F (13-24 °C) | 18% | Low foaming with little or no sulfur production. Use additional nutrients for mead making. |
| Wyeast | 4766 Cider | Liquid | 60-75 °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 |
| Wyeast | 4767 Dry/Fortified | Liquid | 60-90°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. |
| Wyeast | 4783 Sweet White | Liquid | 55-75 °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. |
| Wyeast | 4946 Bold Red/High Alcohol | Liquid | 60-85 °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. |
