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Wine Glossary: XYZ
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Yeast
A micro-organism without which we would not have bread, beer or wine -
wouldn't life be dull! The yeasts convert the sugar
to alcohol in a process known as
alcoholic fermentation. Present
naturally in the vineyard, harvested grapes will begin to ferment naturally,
especially if they are crushed to break the skins and expose the sugar-rich
juice inside to the yeasts which reside on the grape skins. Some winemakers
prefer to add cultured yeasts rather than rely on the action of wild yeasts.
This gives greater control over the fermentation, but some argue it may
intrinsically alter the style or quality of the wine, as a single strain might
not produce the same flavours as the multiple strains present in the vineyard.
Yield
The yield is the amount of wine produced in vineyard or estate, and is
usually expressed in hectolitres per
hectare. Yields vary according to the type of vine
- some are heavy croppers, some yield less - and also with climate and soil.
Yields may be influenced by the winemaker, who may perform a
green harvest on order to reduce them. Low
yields are associated with increased quality.
Glossary pages: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W XYZ
