Yeast strain YW12 with amylolytic activity was isolated from rice wine solid starter diluted and spread on starch-degrading plate(YPS agar) to make pure culture starter for rice wine.Based on morphological,cultural and physiological tests and phylogenetic analysis of 18S rDNA and internal transcribed spacer(ITS) sequences,YW12 was identified as Saccharomycopsis fibuligera.Detected with the modified Yoo method,amylase activity of crude enzyme solution from YW12 in YPS broth for 4 days at 28 ℃ was 49.8 U/mL.The strain YW12 cultured in saccharification mash with 170 g/L glucose from glutinous rice for 3 days at 28 ℃ gave 5.63 %(v/v) of ethanol content.Because of its ability of starch-degrading and ethanol fermentation,the strain YW12 maybe have a potential to be used in making defined fungal starter for glutinous rice wine.