Vineyard in New ZealandMAT GODDARDThe distinct regional conditions, or terroir, in which grapes are grown are thought to shape a wine’s character. But strict scientific evidence of this phenomenon has been lacking. Now, researchers in Auckland, New Zealand, have confirmed that at least one aspect of terroir—local differences in yeast strains—does indeed alter the outcome of Sauvignon Blanc fermentation. Their findings were published today (September 24) in Scientific Reports.
“The take-home message of this paper is that different strains of yeast used to ferment grapes impart a specific chemistry to the wine,” said microbiologist Jack Gilbert of the Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois who was not involved in the work. “The wine community understands that yeast play a role [in terroir]—that the yeast on the plant could be giving a particular strain of Merlot grown in two different locations two different flavors,” he added, but there was no formal proof. “This is just a wonderful piece of evidence that shows the types of metabolites those different strains of yeast can actually generate in the ferment.”
Grape must—the freshly crushed fruit, seeds, skins, and stems of harvested vines—can be turned into wine either by inoculating ...
