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52 p r a c t i c a l w i n e r y & v i n e ya r d J U ly 2 0 1 4 A n uninoculated fermentation is often referred to as "natural" or "spontaneous" fermentation that involves the sequential action of different non-Saccharomyces and a diver- sity of indigenous Saccharomyces yeasts. The first fermentation, looking at the 7,000 years of winemaking history, was more likely the result of serendipity than design. Natural yeast and natural wine: a rather unnatural tale Spontaneously, ambient yeasts fermented damaged grapes in harvesting pots, mys- tifying hunter-gatherers who established agriculture and the first great civilization in Mesopotamia around the Tigris- Euphrates river system and tasted wine for the first time. However, even during those early "vin- tages" it was clear that, without human intervention, the result of "naturally" fer- menting grapes is variable, unreliable and can be undrinkable. It did not take long before the ancients realized that the completely "natural" end result of fer- menting grapes is vinegar. There is heated argument as to whether today's wine is of higher quality (increased flavor profile and absence of faults and taints) due to the contribution of scientific knowledge, technology and research — or whether so-called natural wine is better. There is a new-found nos- talgia for the wine of yesteryear made with a minimalist approach and variable outcomes. The reality is that winemaking is both art and science and always has been. History taught us that the best outcome for both winemaker and consumer is achieved when the wine industry har- nesses what nature, human ingenuity and cutting-edge science offer in har- mony with the unique "artistic" nature of wine. Here we summarize what nature's treasure of "wild" yeasts has to offer and how inventive winemakers can use them in a scientifically controlled manner to craft wine styles that match consumer expectations in a diverse range of market segments. Non-Saccharomyces yeasts: origin and wine flavor contribution Non-Saccharomyces yeasts were originally seen as responsible for microbe-related 57 Vineyard Irrigation Management—Good, Bad and Deficit By Yun Zhang 64 Tools to Manage Élevage: Barrel Grain Analyzed Over Time By Guillaume de Pracomtal, Marie Mirabel, Rémi Teissier du Cros and Anne-Charlotte Monteau 70 Dry Creek Valley—Effect of lag phase thinning on Zinfandel By Will Thomas, Nicolas Brunier, David Gates , Matthew Revelette, James Kennedy and Thibaut Scholasch T E C H N I C A L R E S O U R C E F O R G R O W E R S & W I N E R I E S practicalwinerylibrary.com Access Practical Winery & Vineyard article archives online. All 400X miscroscoPe imAges ProVided by eTs lAborATories Role of non-Saccharomyces yeasts in wine production W I N E M A K I N G Neil P. Jolly, ARC Infruitec-Nietvoorbij, Stellenbosch, South Africa; Cristian Varela, The Australian Wine Research Institute, Glen Osmond, Adelaide, SA, Australia; and Isak S. Pretorius, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia BY Non-Saccharomyces yeasts (from left): Candida, Hanseniaspora and Issatchenkia.