Danish chemical company Chr. Hansen launches something very new just in time for the harvest 2014.
This brand new something is called Viniflora NoVA and is a new generation of lactic bacteria isolated from fermenting must. The research has been done in collaboration with Professor Maret du Toit at the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa.
Lactic bacteria are used in winemaking to start the malolactic fermentation, a process that all red wines undergo and which transforms malic acid into softer lactic acid. Normally, the wine undergoes malolactic fermentation after the alcoholic fermentation. With Viniflora NoVA it works just the other way around.
The malolactic process is made in the grape must, before the alcoholic fermentation. The benefits are many say Chr. Hansen. The whole fermentation process goes faster, the risk that you get off flavours or volatile acidity during the first critical days before the alcoholic fermentation start is reduced, and you may get by on a smaller amount of sulphur.
Read more on chr-hansen.com.
