Vintners Harvest entered into an exclusive yeast strain screening program with a leading yeast and ingredient supplier to the European commercial winemaking industry. This program considered only specialist wine yeast strains used commercially in Europe and identified a complete wine yeast range for all varieties of vinifera grapes as well as fruits and vegetables. The screening process involved 3,000 separate fermentations over a two year period.
The result: professional winemaking yeasts which have never before been available to the home wine making enthusiast.
8 gram sachets, include trace nutrients and minerals for fermentation.
Important Instructions for Use
* Do not re-hydrate Vintner's Harves yeast before addition, but add directly to must.
* To avoid extended lag time and risk of bacterial contamination ensure must temperature is above 20°C (68°F) for the start of fermentation and for at least the first 24 hours.
* Control fermentation temperature within the range specified for each strain. As a general rule, ferment between 20-24°C (68-75°F), unless cold fermentation is desired for flavor/aroma development.
* All yeast strains are sensitive to excessive osmotic pressure, incorrect pH and nutrient deficiencies.
Vintner's Harvest Yeast - CL23
Ideal for crisp, fresh dry white, blush, and sparkling wines. Also the best strain in the Vintners Harvest range for alcohol tolerance, able to ferment to 18% abv. CL23 is a particularly neutral/clean fermenter – it produces very low levels of fusel oils and other congener compounds during fermentation and so does not contribute much to wine flavor or aroma. However it does contribute significantly to structure and ferments out sugars completely, allowing for the driest of wines to be made.
CL23 is noted for its robustness, able to tolerate high levels of alcohol and free SO2, and withstand wide ranges of temperature and pH. A reliable fermenter for high alcohol wines or at low temperature fermentations down to 8C (46F). This strain is ‘fermentation friendly’ in that it produces no foam, starts fermenting rapidly, and can be used to re-start stuck fermentations. In certain situations, CL23 can be used for red winemaking (especially where structure and dryness are key factors) but a word of caution: CL23 will take out color and fruit flavor so recipes should be adjusted accordingly. To appreciate such attributes, split a Cabernet Sauvignon Must and ferment out using CL23 versus VR21 – you will not believe both wines came from the same grape.
Vintner's Harvest Yeast - CY17
Perfect for sweet white/blush and dessert wines made from grapes and particularly from country fruits & flowers. CY17 produces high levels of desirable congeners during fermentation including aromatic thiols, imparting rich fruity aromatics, full body and ‘tropical’ flavor characteristics. CY17 is also noted for high glycerol formation, further enhancing sweetness. This is a slow fermenter compared to all other strains in the Vintner’s Harvest range, typically taking up to 21 days to ferment table wines and up to 35 days for dessert wines. CY17 prefers a constant temperature in the 22 – 26C (72 -78F) range. Dropping the temperature below 15C (59F) two-thirds of the way through fermentation will arrest fermentation making CY17 suitable for producing naturally sweet wines (both potassium sorbate and metabisulphite must be used to prevent re-fermentation). CY17 is also excellent for sweet sparkling wines, but CL23 must be employed for the bottle fermentation stage. CY17 is a delicate strain that must be treated with some respect - avoid free SO2 levels above 50 ppm and ensure pH above 3.2 . Pay particular attention to sterile winemaking conditions and a warm start to fermentation otherwise risk of bacterial contamination is increased. CY17 will happily ferment up to 15% abv in optimal conditions.
Vintner's Harvest Yeast - VR21
Exceptional strain for red varietals and country wines, promoting good structure, balance, and color. Particularly noted for preserving and retaining the natural fruit characteristics of the fruit and enhancing palate length. VR21 is a relatively neutral strain producing subtle levels of aroma and flavor compounds, allowing full expression of varietal/country characteristics whilet enhancing color, structure, and balance. VR21 is an ethanol-tolerant killer strain, capable of fermenting to 15% abv. Good production of glycerol, low volatile acid production, zero sulphur dioxide formation, and low foaming.
Vintner's Harvest Yeast - BV7
Ideal for full-bodied, full-flavored dry and sweet white wines. BV7 will both preserve and enhance the grape variety and terroir, promoting excellent complexity, structure, balance, and especially full, aromatic flavor. To appreciate the impact of BV7, split a Chardonnay must, fermenting half with CL23 and the remainder with BV7 – you will be amazed at the impact of the yeast strain upon fruit concentration. BV7 produces a wide range of low-level beneficial congeners such as higher alcohols and esters and high glycerol, promoting full body and structure to the wine and contributing significantly to mouthfeel, texture, and palate intensity. BV7 is not particularly ethanol tolerant - avoid fermenting above 13% abv. Acceptable temperature range is 15 to 30C (59 -86F) but ferment below 22C (72F) for maximum flavor development.
Vintner's Harvest Yeast - R56
Ideally suited for rich, full bodied red wines. Noted for exceptional depth and flavor complexity, R56 exhibits complex aromatics during fermentation, conferring an old world quality which one might only expect from multiple-strain natural flora fermentations. Unusual in complex aromatic strains, R56 still respects the varietal character of the fruit and imparts good structure and balance. R56 is also a high glycerol producing strain. A medium rate fermenter with optimal temperature between 22 to 30C (72 -86F) and will ferment to 13.5% abv.
Vintner's Harvest Yeast - AW4
The ‘only strain’ for Germanic aromatic white wines. AW4 is noted for developing powerfully fragrant, full, spicy, and aromatic wines. A perfect match for Gewurztraminer; also recommended for Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon where a positive aromatic ester contribution is desired from the yeast. AW4 is a good fermenter across a wide range of temperatures (14 to 30C, or 57-86F), low foam formation, and medium to high glycerol. It will ferment up to 14.5% abv providing the temperature is held within the 20 - 25C (68 -77F) range and the must pH is above 3.0.
Vintner's Harvest Yeast - CR51
Perfect for light, fruity red wines destined for early consumption. CR51 will enhance ripe berry fruit flavors in light and fruity red wines and introduce a velvety texture perfect for Valpolicella and especially for Beaujolais-style wines. This strain has an almost unique ability to confer a smooth even ‘silky’ quality to the wine, perfect for early drinking reds. CR51 is a medium-rate fermenter with optimal temperature between 22 to 30C (72 -86F) which will ferment to 13.5% abv. Low to medium foaming strain with low volatile acid and SO2 production.
Vintner's Harvest Yeast - MA33
Acid reducing strain excellent for fruity white and blush country wines, especially where residual sugars are desired. MA33 has the ability to metabolize between 30 and 35% of malic acid making this strain the perfect choice for country fruits which are naturally high in acid. Reducing malic acid will soften the wine and give a “vin nouveau” character for early consumption with a balanced palate. MA33 is also noted for its production of fruity esters and fusel oils, conferring fresh fruity character to the wine. There is an increased
chance of malolactic fermentation by lactic acid bacteria following MA33 fermentation. MA33 is a killer-sensitive strain. It is a good fermenter between 18 and 27C (64 -80F), with a rapid onset to fermentation, although it can exhibit a slow late fermentation profile and may require aeration after 10 – 12 days of fermentation. Will ferment up to 14% abv providing the pH is above 3.2.
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