Selected in Portugal by the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD) in cooperation with the Viticultural Commission of the Vinho Verde region, Lalvin QA23™ is an excellent choice for wine styles like Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, Chardonel, and Gewürztraminer.
Lalvin QA23™ has low nutrient and oxygen requirements, and it has been known to ferment juice at low temperatures (59 °F) to dryness. QA23 is an excellent thiol converter making it a complementary yeast for developing varietal Sauvignon Blanc passion fruit character. It also produces large amounts of the enzyme beta-glucosidase during growth, which allows for the release of bound terpenes in aromatic varieties. What all this means is this yeast is a good choice for white wine, particularly if your ferment will run to the cool side. 5 gram pack for 5 gallons of must.
Sep 28, 2020 by Sam
Q: Can QA 23 yeast be used for fruit wines?
A: It can be used for fruit wine or ciders and will have a dry finish. If you are looking for a yeast that will leave your fruit wine with a little more residual sweetness, try Lalvin 71B D47 or Red Star Cotes Des Blancs. The Red Star is the most commonly used for fruit wines.
Good cider yeast, if you have good juice
Cider is basically a white wine, so this yeast is a good choice. In my trials it produced a very dry, crisp cider with some apple character, quite a lot like a dry Sauvignon. If your fruit lacks character and tannin, this is probably not the best choice (try D47 or 71B instead). If you have some wild apple-crabs or true cider apples, this yeast produces interesting and very drinkable ciders.