What is malolactic fermentation?

More typical of red wines and subsequent to the alcoholic one, what is malolactic fermentation? Let’s find out the answer to our quiz.

WHAT IS MALOLACTIC FERMENTATION?

1. QUESTION

What is malolactic fermentation?

Possible answers:

1. Transformation of malic acid into lactic acid.
2. The chemical process that is mainly used for white wines.
3. It is used to color the wine.
4. None of the answers.

2. DESCRIPTION

This reaction is a characteristic fermentative event, subsequent to the alcoholic one, which brings the wine to maturity. Lactic bacteria, due to the rise in temperature that usually occurs in spring, trigger this reaction in the wine. In malolactic fermentation, malic acid, present in grapes, is transformed into lactic acid and carbon dioxide.

It intervenes after alcoholic fermentation, once all the sugars have been consumed by the yeasts. It causes a strong decrease of the carbon dioxide present with a slight increase in the volatile acidity of the wine.

This process makes it possible to make the quality of a wine substantially more uniform from one year to the next as bacteria decrease acidity in the years in which this is in excess, for example in grapes, as can happen due to the final phase of maturation.

3. CORRECT ANSWER

The correct answer is the number 1.

Xsperienza has created pages on the site dedicated to providing advice and suggestions for an excellent food-wine and music pairing on the occasion of particular types of events, for example, “PARTY“. Consult the section dedicated to combinations to find advice from our chefs and experts.

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