Microbial contamination in wine

Microbial contamination or spoilage occurs with the development of micro-organisms whose metabolism can negatively affect wine quality. Grape juice, rich in sugars and nutrients, is a suitable substrate for the growth of many species of micro-organisms, including yeasts, bacteria and moulds. After alcoholic fermentation, the ethanol presence reduces the potential for development of many micro-organisms but even under final wine conditions some yeasts and bacteria can still be active. Extract from Technical Notes of Code of Best Practice for Organic Winemaking, produced under the EU FP6 STREP project ORWINE