Evaluating the Influence of Malolactic Fermentation Inoculation Practices and Ageing on Lees on Biogenic Amine Production in Wine

Biogenic amines are compounds, produced primarily by lactic acid bacteria (LAB) that negatively affect the wholesomeness of wine. Standard winemaking practices can greatly influence the levels of biogenic amines in wine. The aim of this study was to determine the relative contribution of different malolactic fermentation (MLF) practices and ageing of wines on fermentation lees to the final levels of biogenic amines. Wines were made on small scale over two harvest seasons with two red grape cultivars. Treatments included spontaneous MLF, co-inoculated MLF, MLF inoculated after alcoholic fermentation (conventional inoculation) and 4 months of ageing in the presence and absence of fermentation lees of all MLF treatments. Biogenic amine concentrations were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography at key winemaking stages and statistically analysed for the effects of MLF treatment and winemaking stage. Results indicate that the presence of indigenous LAB increased the risk of biogenic amine formation. Inoculation proved to reduce biogenic amine production over time compared to spontaneous MLF and co-inoculation even more than conventional inoculation. The presence of yeast lees during ageing generally led to higher final concentrations of biogenic amines in wines than the absence of lees. This study confirms other works that conclude that spontaneous MLF and uncontrolled ageing on yeast lees are generally unpredictable and pose a risk of biogenic amine contamination in finished wines.