WIN Webinar – Shaping Modern Red Wines: Balancing Fruit Expression and Lower Alcohol

Climate change is shifting grape ripeness patterns, making it harder to balance alcohol levels with the fresh, fruity character consumers increasingly prefer. Early harvesting can reduce alcohol, but winemakers worry about losing aromatic complexity and phenolic development.

In this webinar, Fermentis technical referents for the Americas and EMEA will present 2 cases studies done in parallel in each region to examine how harvest timing combined with yeast and yeast derivative selection affects red wine quality. Researchers in Italy and Argentina tested different yeast strains and yeast derivatives across early and optimal conventional harvest conditions on Cabernet Sauvignon, measuring chemical composition, fermentation performance, and, of course, sensory evaluations—providing practical insights for real-world winemaking. The results are encouraging.

Early harvest reliably reduces alcohol by 1.5% while maintaining acidity and freshness. More importantly, specific yeast strains actively compensate for lower phenolics, delivering fruit expression and aromatic complexity that rivals—or exceeds—traditionally harvested wines. Whether you’re responding to climate challenges or capturing the growing market for lower-alcohol wines, this research provides the evidence-based framework to guide your strategy.

Join us to explore how strategic harvest timing and yeast selection can help you produce wines that meet modern consumer expectations while maintaining the quality your brand demands.

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