Wine Quality and Malolactic Fermentation

FOREWORD

Wine producers must have increasingly technical oenological knowledge and must stay informed about the latest innovative practices. At the XVIe Entretiens Scientifiques Lallemand in Porto, the experts in malolactic bacteria presented the most recent advances in the field.

This meeting, which brought together key people from more than 15 countries on five continents, took a more practical turn this year, welcoming a dozen oenologists and winemakers to share their perspectives on the use of selected malolactic bacteria. Representatives of the wine trade also talked about how their own choices were dictated by the expectations of consumers.

Today, the principal concerns of winemakers gravitate around two main poles - how to maintain the typical characteristics of the wine offering consumers the utmost quality. Tim Atkin, Master of Wine and wine correspondent for The Observer in the UK, the moderator for the round table, summarized the discussions on the use of selected malolactic bacteria thus : "No one wants wine positive influence on the taste and aroma, malolactic fermentation represents only a part of the wine producer's work, which starts much sooner, in the vineyard itself".

Having obtained a number of different points of view during the debates and wine tastings, the technical team at Lallemand can direct the company's research towards offering oenological tools that are ever more adapted to the needs of the market.