Why I Love Cotes de Blanc

Many different wine yeast strains are available to the winemaker. Each of them is used to enhance or accentuate different flavors in the wine ingredients. The different strains can also be used to produce varying amounts of alcohol in the finished product.

If you read what the pros have to say about choosing a wine yeast, it gets very science-y. But I love Michael Dawson's response in this article on Wine Maker Magazine.

Which [wine yeast] will work best with your equipment and process? Is one better adapted than the other for your specific must conditions (e.g., nutrient level, planned fermentation temperature, etc.)? What’s worked well for you in the past?

And that's why I love Cotes de Blanc from Red Star. Perhaps it's not intended to be used with just any wine, but it's been one of the most predictable yeasts strains for fermenting to .992-.990 SG, regardless of my original gravity (OG). This is called attenuation, the yeast's ability to use all of the available sugar. When you can accurately predict where your wine will finish, you have more control over the final ABV.

Cotes de Blanc also produces a good tasting fruit wine, which makes up the majority of my recipes. Maybe I wouldn't use it with my Alexander's Pinot Noir concentrate - or who knows, maybe I would - but below are some wines I've used it with in the past along with the OG/SG.

• Sweet Concord: 1.088/.990

• Mulberry: 1.080/.993

• Raspberry: 1.090/.990

• White Peach: 1.080/.990

• Blueberry Peach: 1.120/.990

• Blueberry: 1.080/.990

• Pineapple: 1.075/.990

• Strawberry: 1.070/.990