"Lum" > wrote in message news:<uutAc.480> >
> > Ar a recent talk, a professional winemaker here from BC mentioned that
> > they were getting higher alcohol levels for the starting Brix than
> > they used to, often by 1% or even more. She said this was confirmed by
> > other winemakers from the area. Her hypothesis was that the yeast were
> > getting more efficient in alcohol production. This could have large
> > repercussions if that were indeed the case. I'm wondering if this is
> > happening in other, hotter areas, as well?
> >
> > Pp
> > Vancouver, Canada
>
> Some types of wine yeast produce more alcohol than others, so the above
> situation certainly seems possible. But, I don't understand what the "large
> repercussions" would be.
> Lum
> Del Mar, California, USA

Well, if the yeast got consistenly more efficient in producing
alcohol, then the winemaking practice would have to adjust to that
somehow, particularly in hot areas, otherwise we'd end up with hot,
unbalanced wines, no? 1% is a lot as an average change.

I believe she's been using the same yeast over the years, so it's not
a change in the type of yeast.

Pp
Vancouver, BC, Canada