Talk:Flor

When flor is described as a "variety" of yeast, does that mean it is different species than other wine-making yeasts? Thanks.

According to this page, "The film consists of billions of cells of the wine yeast Saccharomyces cereviseae. However these yeasts are a different race to that of the normal yeast involved in wine fermentation. Recent genetic research has shown that the film consists of five different races the most important being S. beticus, and S. montuliensis. These races have been shown to be genetically similar to each other in that they are all contain genes that make them resistant to both alcohol and to the compound responsible for the distinctly green apple and nutty character of Fino sherries called acetaldehyde. Most importantly, as a result of their higher lipid (fat) content compared with other wine yeasts, they all float - a property which is especially important if they are to contribute to a healthy surface film." Hashashin 05:56, 2 September 2005 (UTC)

Here's another page that discusses the different varieties of yeast in flor: "This "velo de flor" in sherry wines is formed by four yeasts, all belonging to the genus Saccharomyces: Saccharomyces beticus, Sacchormyces cheresiensis and Saccharomyces rouxii. The Beticus is the strongest, but it begins to fade as the wine matures. The yeasts are living organisms that flourish in Spring and Autumn, but go into decline in the Summer and Winter, and even die off, their cells sinking to the bottom of the butt to form "the mother of the wine". These cells are replaced through the natural reproduction of the yeast, but in the Winter and Summer the replacement is not complete and the "veil" becomes thinner." Hashashin 22:58, 5 September 2005 (UTC)