Fermentation (wine) - Other Types of Fermentation - Malolactic Fermentation

Malolactic Fermentation

Instead of yeast, bacteria play a fundamental role in malolactic fermentation which is essentially the conversion of malic acid into lactic acid. This has the benefit of reducing some of the tartness and making the resulting wine taste softer. Depending on the style of wine that the winemaker is trying to produce, malolactic fermentation may take place at the very same time as the yeast fermentation. Alternatively, some strains of yeast may be developed that can convert L-malate to L-lactate during alcohol fermentation. For example, Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain ML01 (S. cerevisiae strain ML01), which carries a gene encoding malolactic enzyme from Oenococcus oeni and a gene encoding malate permease from Schizosaccharomyces pombe. S. cerevisiae strain ML01 has received regulatory approval in both Canada and the United States.