Wine Yeast – choose the right yeast for red, white and fruit wine

Wine yeast is a group of yeast strains selected to ferment grape must and fruit must into wine. Here you will find eight dried yeast strains from Mangrove Jack's and the champagne yeast Lalvin EC-1118 from Lallemand, with dedicated strains for red, white, rosé and sparkling wine, fruit wine and mead. The Mangrove Jack's strains tolerate 14–18% ABV and are sprinkled straight onto the must with no rehydration.

How to choose the right wine yeast

Wine style: The red wine strains build body and structure, the white wine strains lift aroma and fruit. A neutral all-round strain suits wines where the fruit itself should lead.
Alcohol tolerance: For wines above 15% ABV, pick a strain that tolerates 18%, such as SN9 or CL23.
Fermentation temperature: Ranges run from 14 to 32 °C. AW4 and CR51 have the narrowest range, 16–24 °C.
Acidity: For high-acid fruit, MA33 can reduce malic acid by 30–35%.

Wine yeast from Mangrove Jack's and Lallemand

Yeast	Suited to	ABV	Temperature
SN9	All-round, fortified wine, mead, perry, flower wine	18%	14–28 °C
CL23	White, rosé and sparkling wine	18%	14–32 °C
BV7	White wine: Chardonnay, Semillon, Pinot Gris	14%	14–28 °C
AW4	Aromatic white and rosé: Riesling, Gewürztraminer	14%	16–24 °C
R56	Red wine: Merlot, Malbec, Nebbiolo, and fruit wine	15%	18–28 °C
VR21	Red wine: Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Tempranillo	15%	18–28 °C
CR51	Light, fruity red: Pinot Noir, Gamay	14%	16–24 °C
MA33	Fruit wine and young wines from high-acid fruit	14%	18–28 °C

Lalvin EC-1118 is a neutral, robust yeast for red wine, white wine and cider, and one 5 g sachet is enough for up to 23 litres. If you make wine from your own fruit, the SG Wines Fruit Wine Kit contains yeast, nutrient, pectolase and finings for about 4.5 litres.

Frequently asked questions about wine yeast

How much wine yeast do I need?

One 5 g sachet of Lalvin EC-1118 is enough for up to 23 litres. The Mangrove Jack's strains come in 8 g sachets – follow the dosage on the sachet for your batch size.

Does wine yeast need to be rehydrated?

Mangrove Jack's wine yeast needs no rehydration. Sprinkle it straight onto the must and stir well. For EC-1118, the instructions are in the data sheet on the product page.

Which yeast should I use for mead?

SN9 is intended for mead among other styles and tolerates up to 18% ABV. Under mead you will also find a dedicated mead yeast and mead nutrient.

Which wine yeast suits fruit wine?

MA33 is made for fruit wine and high-acid fruit, giving a fresh, fruity wine that is suited to drinking young. R56 and SN9 are also listed as suitable for fruit wine.

Can I use beer yeast or baker's yeast for wine?

Fermentation will usually start, but beer yeast and baker's yeast are not made for wine. Wine yeast is selected to tolerate more alcohol and give a clean fermentation in grape and fruit must.