Equilibrium of yeast or dominant yeast

What characterizes each regions yeast..? Is it the equilibrium of natural wild yeasts or is it a dominant yeast.

frankiefourfingers said:

What characterizes each regions yeast..? Is it the equilibrium of natural wild yeasts or is it a dominant yeast.

Click to expand...

Your question goes well beyond my pay grade (and probably most others, here). I think it would make a good graduate thesis. However, I'll give my layman's guess using your own words. My sense is that regional yeasts are characterized by their characteristics, influenced in part by climate and the environment. (For example, cold weather yeasts.) With or without a dominant yeast, regional yeasts develop traits suited to their environment, putting them at equilibrium. (For example, acidity.) Thus, it seems to me a dominant yeast is relevant, but the pool of regional yeasts should govern. But that's just a guess.

Very Interesting question, check out this article from Wine makers Mag, read it to the end, it speaks about a test that Lallemand conducted with yeasts from all of the world used in their specific regions use to make the same type of wine, and their results.
Lallemand Study
This may not answer your question, but it may show that the terrior may affect grapes/wine and the various outcome using different yeasts, more than we realize.

Here is quote from yet another article on yeast:

Studies have shown that of all the yeasts in the vineyard, the desirable Saccharomyces cerevisiae is probably only on about one out of every 1,000 berries. In some vineyards, Saccharomyces cerevisiae may not exist on any berries at all. Some argue against these statistics, but results are so inconsistent no one can prove one way or the other. Even so, other indigenous yeasts are also considered wine yeasts. Moreover, there are thousands of other wild yeast strains. This article can’t name or describe them all. However, for winemaking purposes, wild yeasts themselves can be broken down into two subcategories: wine yeast and spoilage yeast.

Click to expand...

It would appear that there are so many wild yeasts out there, that it really might be based by climate and the environment, aka terrior, if that can used to classify a region.
Just my opinion, I am no expert, I just read a lot.

Thank you for taking the time to respond

I've been making wine since I was thirteen, 29 now, and I thought I had a good working knowledge of it all. But I called our local vineyard here in ohio to get an active culture for my batch I just started and the head wine maker told me he only uses red star champagne yeast... On every wine they make they use this same yeast. -blew my mind-

frankiefourfingers said:

Thank you for taking the time to respond

I've been making wine since I was thirteen, 29 now, and I thought I had a good working knowledge of it all. But I called our local vineyard here in ohio to get an active culture for my batch I just started and the head wine maker told me he only uses red star champagne yeast... On every wine they make they use this same yeast. -blew my mind-

Click to expand...

Frankie, you probably know this but just in case ... Don't be fooled by the name. Red Star Champagne yeast is not used in Champagne nor for any other sparkling wine. It's used for dry wines (white or red) but can be used for meads, ports, and cider. It readily ferments grape and fruit juice to dry and has good temperature and alcohol tolerance.