Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/658375
April 2016 WINES&VINES 63 WINEMAKING a detailed memo for the state that not only defined what yeast is but how crucial it is for wineries in developing wine flavor and aroma and to produce a clean wine without any off-flavors. Mabbett also detailed how, through autolysis, the impact of yeast goes far beyond just the reaction of converting sugar to alcohol and carbon dioxide. "Hence, winemakers now see yeast as an essential ingredient to optimize the quality of their wine, as it has one of the greatest impacts on the wine throughout the wine- making process. If it were just a processing aid, there would not be the large variety of available yeast strains that impart such di- versity to the finished wine," Mabbett wrote. "As a consequence, a lot of time, energy and money have been invested by yeast manu- facturers in developing new strains for use in the winery." Heinrich said Mabbett's report was sent off in March 2013 as part of a formal request to the state to change the tax, and that was the last he heard of it until late January, when Mauri's distributor Pacific Coast Chem- icals passed along a letter from an attorney in the tax and fees division of the BOE con- cerning yeast used in winemaking. Heinrich provided a copy of that letter to Wines & Vines, and in it attorney Erin Den- dorfer wrote, "We find that the use of yeast in both winemaking and beer brewing is substantially similar." The attorney con- cluded that the annotations making a distinc- tion between brewing and winemaking yeast should "be deleted as inconsistent and misleading." The change will generate some signifi- cant cost savings for California's wine in- dustry. The state's largest wineries could save tens of thousands of dollars per year as a result of the tax change, as well as secure refunds for the money already spent on sales tax. It's unclear just how much money is at stake, but the research group Marketsand- Markets recently predicted the global yeast market would reach more than $4.3 billion by 2020. North America is the fastest grow- ing market for yeast and accounts for nearly a quarter of the total market, the group said. This broad category includes wine yeast as well as yeast used in food produc- tion, brewing, bio fuels and yeast specialty products. "We also recently learned that BOE is considering whether other food-grade ingre- dients used in winemaking might qualify for the tax exemption. We will provide addi- tional information as soon as it is available," the Wine Institute's Horiuchi said. WWW.CHR-HANSEN.COM Chr. Hansen non-Saccharomyces yeasts: get the best from your wines Now with three pure strains, all selected for their abilities to enhance flavor, aroma and mouth feel, Chr. Hansen has the widest selection of non-Saccharomyces yeasts. All strains are exclusively available through Gusmer Enterprises. Use Chr. Hansen non-Saccharomyces yeast in conjunction with your favorite Saccharomyces yeast for distinct wines, reminiscent of a "wild fermentation", and with complete control. • Enhance flavor, aroma, mouth-feel • Reduce volatile acidity • Ensure bio-protection Prelude ™ • Pure Torulaspora delbrueckii • First introduced in 2009 • Perfect for Merlot, Pinot Noir, and classical Chardonnay FrootZen ™ • Pure Pichia kluyveri • First introduced in 2010 • Ideal for fruit forward Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc Concerto ™ • Pure Kluyveromyces thermotolerans • First introduced in 2011 • Made for Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Zinfandel www.gusmerenterprises.com sales@gusmerenterprises.com West Coast: 559.485.2692 East Coast: 908.301.1811 WWW.CHR-HANSEN.COM Chr. Hansen non-Saccharomyces yeasts: get the best from your wines Now with three pure strains, all selected for their abilities to enhance flavor, aroma and mouth feel, Chr. Hansen has the widest selection of non-Saccharomyces yeasts. All strains are exclusively available through Gusmer Enterprises. Use Chr. Hansen non-Saccharomyces yeast in conjunction with your favorite Saccharomyces yeast for distinct wines, reminiscent of a "wild fermentation", and with complete control. • Enhance flavor, aroma, mouth-feel • Reduce volatile acidity • Ensure bio-protection Prelude ™ • Pure Torulaspora delbrueckii • First introduced in 2009 • Perfect for Merlot, Pinot Noir, and classical Chardonnay FrootZen ™ • Pure Pichia kluyveri • First introduced in 2010 • Ideal for fruit forward Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc Concerto ™ • Pure Kluyveromyces thermotolerans • First introduced in 2011 • Made for Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Zinfandel www.gusmerenterprises.com sales@gusmerenterprises.com West Coast: 559.485.2692 East Coast: 908.301.1811 Chr. Hansen non-Saccharomyces yeasts: get the best from your wines Now with three pure strains, all selected for their abilities to enhance flavor, aroma and mouth feel, Chr. Hansen has the widest selection of non-Saccharomyces yeasts. All strains are exclusively available through Gusmer Enterprises. Use Chr. Hansen non-Saccharomyces yeast in conjunction with your favorite Saccharomyces yeast for distinct wines, reminiscent of a "wild fermentation", and with complete control. • Enhance flavor, aroma, mouth-feel • Reduce volatile acidity • Ensure bio-protection Prelude ™ • Pure Torulaspora delbrueckii • First introduced in 2009 • Perfect for Merlot, Pinot Noir, and classical Chardonnay FrootZen ™ • Pure Pichia kluyveri • First introduced in 2010 • Ideal for fruit forward Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc Concerto ™ • Pure Kluyveromyces thermotolerans • First introduced in 2011 • Made for Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Zinfandel www.gusmerenterprises.com sales@gusmerenterprises.com WWW.CHR-HANSEN.COM Chr. Hansen non-Saccharomyces yeasts: get the best from your wines Now with three pure strains, all selected for their abilities to enhance flavor, aroma and mouth feel, Chr. Hansen has the widest selection of non-Saccharomyces yeasts. All strains are exclusively available through Gusmer Enterprises. Use Chr. Hansen non-Saccharomyces yeast in conjunction with your favorite Saccharomyces yeast for distinct wines, reminiscent of a "wild fermentation", and with complete control. • Enhance flavor, aroma, mouth-feel • Reduce volatile acidity • Ensure bio-protection Prelude ™ • Pure Torulaspora delbrueckii • First introduced in 2009 • Perfect for Merlot, Pinot Noir, and classical Chardonnay FrootZen ™ • Pure Pichia kluyveri • First introduced in 2010 • Ideal for fruit forward Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc Concerto ™ • Pure Kluyveromyces thermotolerans • First introduced in 2011 • Made for Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Zinfandel www.gusmerenterprises.com sales@gusmerenterprises.com West Coast: 559.485.2692 East Coast: 908.301.1811 www.gusmerenterprises.com sales@gusmerenterprises.com West Coast: 559.485.2692 East Coast: 908.301.1811 " BOE is considering whether other food-grade ingredi- ents used in winemaking might qualify for the tax exemption." —Gladys Horiuchi, Wine Institute