Red Star

• One of the five major brands of wine yeast, Red Star, contains the popular yeast strain Montrachet. This strain is used in red and white wine fermentations and can be used to produce Chardonnay in barrels and stainless-steel containers. The second most common strain is Pasteur Champagne, which was isolated in Champagne, France, and is used in sparkling wine and low temperatures. Assmanshausen was created in Germany, one of the top yeast-producing countries. It is a strain used in red wines and is known to add a spicy aroma to Cabernet Sauvignon.

Lalvin

• Lalvin is another popular yeast brand and is often sold in large quantities, which make it tough to purchase yeasts affordably as an individual winemaker. Lalvin EC-1118 Prise de Mousse is an often used as a strain for apple, cranberry and cherry wines and for secondary fermentations. Lalvin RC212 (Bourgovin) is frequently used by home winemakers due to its high alcohol content (14 percent), color stability and high temperature tolerance (86 degrees Fahrenheit).

Wyeast Vintner's Choice

• This type of yeast culture comes as a liquid and must be added to diluted and aerated juice and agitated over several hours before being combined with the must. The 3134 Sake #9 is used for Asian beverages such as sake and rice beer, while 3244 Chianti gives wine a large, well-rounded, bold fruit flavor with a dry finish and is used in Chianti and Barolo wines. The 3242 Chablis brings on bready, vanilla notes and is used in fruity white wines and ciders.

Gervin

• These yeasts are difficult to find in the U.S., but they can be ordered from such places as the United Kingdom. No. 1 Green Label is a yeast used all over France for red and white wines and is known a good general yeast strain. Varietal C Gold Label is used in many Champagnes and is used all over the world for white and rosé table wines. Varietal E Blue in the White Label line is used to kill wild, overgrowing yeasts and produce "honey" wines such as mead.

White Labs

• White Labs products are known as "pitchable" yeast cultures because there is a great deal of living yeast in the cultures. This theoretically makes the yeast cultures more conducive to having flavors added to the must. WLP775 English Cider has been used for cider for many years and is able to retain much of the taste of the apples. It can also be used for some wines and high gravity beers. WLP735 French White is a strain used for Muscadelle, Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillion and WLP749 Assmanschausen Wine is used for Zinfandel and Pinot Noir.