USING LYSOZYME TO COMBAT RED WINE SPOILAGE

Most lactic acid bacteria (LAB) associated with wine convert malic acid to lactic acid. This conversion is known as malolactic fermentation (MLF). This secondary fermentation can be carried out by the “good bacteria” (Oenococcus oeni), or by the spoilage lactic acid bacteria. After a MLF completed by Oenococcus oeni, the pH of the wine will have a slight increase, the aroma of the wine will be more complex and the wine will be more microbially stable. However, certain species of LAB known as “spoilage bacteria” are responsible for wine spoilage by producing elevated levels of acetic acid, diacetyl, biogenic amines, acrolein, polysaccharides and other toxins. These compounds can spoil a wine either by causing organoleptic defects, or by causing adverse physiological reactions when consumed. In some cases, the alcoholic fermentation can become sluggish or even stuck. The spoilage by LAB occurs more often in high pH wines where SO2 is less effective