Abstract: The invention relates to an activation solution useful for incubation of microbial organisms prior to inoculation into a liquid composition, such as wine, and to a dry activation composition from which the activation solution may be produced. The activation solution preferably comprises microbial organisms capable of fermenting malic acid to lactic acid, but having impaired capability of degrading citric acid. These microbial organisms are useful in methods of inducing malolactic fermentation during wine production.

Abstract: The present invention discloses microbial organisms capable of fermenting malic acid to lactic acid having impaired capability of degrading citric acid. These microbial organisms are for example useful in methods of preferentially degrading malic acid over citric acid in a liquid composition or in methods of inducing malolactic fermentation during wine production. The invention also discloses a concentrate of these microbial organisms and methods of preparing such a concentrate. The present invention furthermore relates to an activation solution useful for incubation of microbial organisms prior to inoculation into a liquid composition, such as wine.

Abstract: A selected malolactically active Ln. oenos strain which is useful for inducing malolactic fermentation in wine or fruit juice by the direct inoculation of a concentrate of a starter culture containing the strain, the strain having a survival rate of at least 80% when inoculated directly into a wine having a pH of 3.2 or lower and containing at least 25 mg SO2 per l and at least 12 vol % ethanol, and capabl, of starting malolactic fermentation when added directly to the wine or fruit juice at a concentration of less than 107 colony forming units per ml. There is also provided a method of isolating such a strain and a method for producing a culture of the strain.

Abstract: A selected malolactically active Ln. oenos strain which is useful for inducing malolactic fermentation in wine or fruit juice by the direct inoculation of a concentrate of a starter culture containing the strain, the strain having a survival rate of at least 80% when inoculated directly into a wine having a pH of 3.2 or lower and containing at least 25 mg SO2 per l and at least 12 vol % ethanol, and capable of starting malolactic fermentation when added directly to the wine or fruit juice at a concentration of less than 107 colony forming units per ml.