port wine yeast

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VermontFreedom

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What's so special about port wine yeast for making port? Why isn't a standard yeast like Montrachet or 71B-1122 or whatever just as good? Something about the interaction with heavy doses of sugar?
 
Just a quick guess, because why not?, I would say it can probably withstand higher alcohol concentrations without getting killed off?
 
port wine is not fermented to the stregth that you get in the bottle. the wine is fermented like normal, but near the end of fermentaiton it is fortified with distilled spirits (which kills the yeast).

-walker
 
I know, VERY old thread... My guess would be that the yeast doesn't have a very high tolerance for abv fluctuations and will die off faster and fall to the bottom when fortified. Also, it has to withstand higher tempatures. A Madeira style port wine needs to be fermented as hot as the yeast can take as the wine is aged in the upwards of 140 degrees.
 
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