NATIVE YEAST FERMENATION...IN LODI!!

Where is Lodi, again? It's in northern California, just east of San Francisco. Image ©Floreana Edwards

Maybe I am late to the game, but native yeast fermentation is happening in Lodi.

Reluctantly perhaps, but it is happening.

Lodi winemakers have recently started a new project called Lodi Native, which refers to fermentation using only native yeast.  (Native yeast is naturally present on the skins of the grapes and will start the fermentation process without human intervention.)

The alternative to native yeast fermentation is to inoculate the wine with a commercially-producted yeast strain.  Commercial yeasts are very predictable, but tend to result in "cookie cutter" styled wines which taste very similar.  As a comparision, think about the vast array of beer yeasts and how wildly different their styles taste.  Wine works in just the same way.  Lodi Native, therefore, is doing something pretty cool.

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