what is mlf in wine making
The Malolactic Fermentation (MLF). The malolactic fermentation is the conversion of malic acid in the wine to lactic acid through the action of naturally-occurring or added bacteria. It reduces and âsoftensâ the acidity of the wine and so is sometimes used in white winemaking, but is almost always encouraged in red winemaking. The reduction in acidity is due to the fact that malic acid has two acid radicals (-COOH), whilst lactic acid only has one: