ANCHOR Bacteria

THREE MAIN CONCEPTS

The Anchor bacteria range was developed based on three main concepts:

• the differences between
  co-inoculation and sequential inoculation and the impact it has on the wine;
• the differences between the fermentation capabilities of Oenococcus oeni and Lactobacillus plantarum and
• the difference in sensory impact delivered by each bacteria culture.

Irrespective of the bacteria culture inoculated for MLF, there are some fundamental differences in the wines resulting from MLF in co-inoculation or sequential inoculation. During co-inoculation, the citric acid metabolism of the bacteria is suppressed, which results in less diacetyl production.

Co-inoculation also allows for less stressful fermentation conditions for the bacteria, with sufficient nutrients and low alcohol concentrations to contend with. Cultures that are more robust are therefore required when selecting a culture for sequential MLF.

Until recently, O. oeni was regarded as the preferred bacteria for MLF due to its robustness under wine conditions. However, L. plantarum has been shown to be more interesting in terms of its sensory contribution.

It is for this exact reason that the Duet range consists of a blend of O. oeni and L. plantarum in order to ensure a robust culture that can complete MLF while also adding to the sensory quality of the wine.