Hong　Qu　glutinous　rice　wine,　one　of　the　most　popular　traditional　rice　wines　in　China,　is　brewed　from　glutinous　rice　with　the　addition　of　two　traditional　fermentation　starters　-　Hong　Qu　(hong　qu)　and　Yao　Qu　(yao　qu).　The　aim　of　this　study　was　to　investigate　the　yeast　flora　present　in　these　fermentation　starters　using　a　combination　of　culture-dependent　and　-independent　molecular　biological　methods.　Molecular　identification　of　a　total　of　500　yeast　isolate　from　10　kinds　of　representative　wine　fermentation　starters　(5　Hong　Qu　and　5　Yao　Qu)　was　achieved　by　a　combination　of　polymerase　chain　reaction　-restriction　fragment　length　polymorphism　(PCR-RFLP)　analysis　of　the　internal　transcribed　spacer　region　ITS1-5.8S-ITS2　and　sequencing　of　the　D1/D2　domain　of　the　26S　rRNA　gene.　The　PCR-RFLP　method　generated　13　different　ITS/RFLP　profiles.　Sequencing　identification　allowed　identifying　13　different　ITS/RFLP　profiles　into　12　different　species　of　yeast　belong　to　eight　different　genera　(Pichia,　Saccharomyces,　Candida,　Cryptococcus,　Rhodotorula,　Sporobolomyces,　Rhodosporidium　and　Saccharomycopsis).　Species　diversity　was　thus　considerable:　Saccharomycopsis　fibuligera　was　the　most　commonly　isolated　specie,　followed　by　Saccharomyces　cerevisiae.　On　the　other　hand,　the　yeast　diversity　associated　with　wine　starters　for　Hong　Qu　glutinous　rice　wine　was　also　investigated　through　culture-independent　method　using　polymerase　chain　reaction-denaturing　gradient　gel　electrophoresis　(PCR-DGGE)　patterns　and　sequencing　of　the　DNA　bands.　The　results　revealed　by　culture-independent　method　were　almost　the　same　as　that　of　culture-dependent　methodology.　However,　several　yeast　species　can　not　be　detected　by　traditional　microbiological　procedures　but　can　be　detected　using　PCR-DGGE　analysis.　Similarly,　some　species　could　only　be　detected　by　culture-dependent　method.　For　example,　Sporobolomyces　nylandii　was　detected　existing　in　wine　starter　samples　(Q7　and　Q10)　through　culture-dependent　method,　but　not　detected　in　wine　starters　for　Hong　Qu　glutinous　rice　wine　through　fungal　PCR-DGGE　assay.　Therefore,　it　is　recommended　that　polyphonic　approaches　based　on　culture-dependent　and　culture　independent　methods　seem　the　best　strategy　to　get　a　more　comprehensive　picture　of　the　microbial　diversity　in　traditional　wine　starters.　These　results　enrich　our　knowledge　of　rice　wine-related　yeasts,　and　can　be　used　to　promote　the　development　of　the　traditional　brewing　industry.　(C)　2013　Elsevier　Ltd.　All　rights　reserved.