Investigation of the impact of commercial malolactic fermentation starter cultures on red wine aroma compounds, sensory properties and consumer preference

Wine aroma and flavour contribute to the intrinsic sensory properties which determine wine quality and consequently influence consumer acceptability and preference of a product. Understanding wine aroma and flavour requires having insight into an extremely complex system of interactions among many hundreds of compounds that are influenced by a variety of physical and biological factors. The chemical compounds involved in the final aroma and flavour of a wine could originate from the grape to the bottle at any stage and often involves microbial activity of some kind. The influence of malolactic fermentation (MLF) on wine aroma and flavour has received considerable attention in the last few years, and is of particular interest as it could provide an additional tool to winemakers to produce quality wines. However, the potential contribution of lactic acid bacteria to wine aroma and flavour is not yet fully understood. The main focus of this review includes; (i) a summary of MLF related compositional changes and their potential impact on wine aroma and flavour; (ii) an outline of the analytical techniques used to quantify specific compounds in wine; (iii) an overview of MLF related sensory research findings; and finally, (iv) some innovative applications for studying MLF and its influence on wine aroma and flavour. This review therefore also highlights the importance of exploiting the hidden wealth of possibilities for bacteria to improve the aroma and flavour profile of wine.