INFLUENCE OF PRE-CULTURE CONDITIONS ON THE ABILITY OF LEUCONOSTOC-OENOS TO CONDUCT MALOLACTIC FERMENTATION IN WINE

Most industrially freeze-dried malolactic starters must undergo a pre- culture or reactivation process. This step permit a good implantation into wine. Variables of pre-culture conditions studied were the durati on of the reactivation process and initial reactivated cell population . Reactivation in half-strength wine followed by growth in a medium wi th 75% wine allowed a gradual readjustment of bacteria to counterbalan ce the effect of wine components. The inoculum of the pre-culture medi a has to be, at most, 10(7) cfu/ml so that malic acid degradation foll ows cellular proliferation. The utilization of malic acid in the pre-c ulture medium determines the time to collect bacteria for their inocul ation into wine.