# Evaluation of Malolactic Starters in White and Rose Winemaking of Moschofilero Wines
## 4 Discussion  
MLF is more commonly performed in red wines than in white ones, due to the reduction in the tart taste of malic acid resulting in a more palatable wine with greater ageing potential [15]. From a technological point of view, MLF is much more than the decarboxylation reaction, as many enzymatic activities of LAB have been reported in the wine environment with both beneficial and detrimental effects [4; 6; 16; 17; 18]. Thus, the proper use of LAB, which could lead to a desirable result, is really challenging for the winemaker. In our present work, the effect of MLF with different \(O\). _oeni_ strains, for the production of two different wine styles, white and rose, from the same Greek grape variety, Moschofilero, was studied for the first time. A series of starter cultures was developed for the induction of MLF, some of which, including the ones employed in the present study, were presented by [PERSON] et al. [3]. More specifically, the suitability of the \(O\). _oeni_ strains Vinifora(r) CiNe, Oenos and CH16 for MLF in rose wines and the two formers also in white wines, was presented. In the present study, the effectiveness of these strains to carry out MLF in both rose and white wines made using the Moschofilero cultivar, was exhibited. On the other hand, the autochthonous bacteria could sometimes lead to slow or incomplete fermentation, as observed in our case [4; 5]. As expected, the wines that underwent MLF had higher pH values and lower acidity compared to the control condition. The temporal relationship between AF and MLF is a very important practical issue, and, therefore, has been extensively assessed. More specifically, the effect that the yeast-LAB metabolic co-existence or succession may have on the sensorial properties of  
Figure 2: Interaction plot of the means of the sensory descriptors (acidity, balance, body, butter, citrus, rose) taken versus the maloactic fermentation scheme for Moschofilero rose and white wines. The \(O\). _oeni_ strains used to realize the maloactic fermentation were Vinifora® CH16 (CH16), Vinifora® Oenos (Oenos) and Vinifora® CiNe (Cine). Spontaneous fermentation is denoted by (S) and wines in which no MLF took place are denoted by (C). Error bars indicate the standard error of the mean values. the final product has been in the epicenter of intensive research, leading to the conclusion that the outcome depends upon factors such as the capacity and compatibility of the microbial strains utilized, the winery, the vintage, the cultivar and the fermentation temperature [19; 20; 21; 22; 23; 24; 25; 26; 27; 28]. In the present study, a sequential approach was employed with AF preceding MLF, which is closer to the traditional practice, and no issues regarding the compatibility between the yeast and the LAB strains employed was observed. Regarding the chromatic characteristics of the wines that underwent MLF, the loss of color seemed to be frequently reported and attributed to LAB metabolic activities and, more specifically, to acetaldehyde metabolism [29] as well as absorption and enzymatic degradation of anthocyanin glucosides [30]. However, there are studies that report a strain-dependent increase in color intensity, such as the ones by [PERSON] et al. [31] and [PERSON] et al. [32] and the present one. The latter studies concur with the conclusion reached by [PERSON] et al. [33] that the effect that MLF may have on wine color depends upon the strain that drives the MLF and the grape variety, as well as the winemaking practices. Interestingly, a study conducted by [PERSON] et al. [34], which was based on _O. oeni_ isolates from various wines, mainly from France, showed that two genetic groups were created based on the wine color, red or white, which possibly suggested an adapting evolution due to the type of wine. The malolactic fermentation of rose and white Moschofilero wines resulted in the enhancement of vanilla and buttery notes in all cases and the improvement of balance in the white wine.