Do you have to use red wine yeast for red wine?

[MountainRunner]

Is there any advantage of using red wine yeast for making a red wine, what if you use a white wine yeast or use a general purpose yeast?

 

[stickman]

In general, you can use a white or red yeast as long as the must parameters, potential alcohol, nutrients, PH, temperature etc., are within the recommended range for the given yeast. Yeast manufacturers provide fermentation characteristics for the various strains available and you can make a selection based on this. Here's an example of some information available.

http://www.lallemandwine.com/products/catalogue/?range=9

I routinely use a general purpose yeast DV10 on my reds. It does not provide any flavor enhancement, but yields good body, low off odors, and will ferment every last scrap of sugar leaving the wine bone dry, that's my goal, but your goal may be different so select accordingly.

 

[DoctorCAD]

You can use water in place of anti freeze or ATF in place of brake fluid, but they just wont perform as well.

Unless you are very familiar with the nuances of the yeasts, stick to tried and true. JMO

 

[JohnT]

+1 on what they have said..

You can even use bread yeast to ferment sugars. The question is why wouldn't you want the benefit of centuries of breeding yeast?

Unless you have no choice, go with a good, quality red wine yeast.