malolacticadj.n.
/ˌmaləʊˈlaktɪk/, /ˌmeɪləʊˈlaktɪk/, U.S. /ˌmæloʊˈlæktɪk/ Winemaking.
A. adj.
Designating or relating to a secondary fermentation during which malic acid in wine is converted to lactic acid.
ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > drink > manufacture of alcoholic drink > wine-making > [adjective] > relating to secondary fermentation
malolactic1908
1908 Jrnl. Chem. Soc. 94 723 The malic acid of grape-juice partly disappears during fermentation, but no lactic acid is formed, and the ‘malo-lactic’ fermentation of Rosenstiehl..does not exist.
1951 M. A. Amerine & M. A. Joslyn Table Wines vii. 100 Certain wines, particularly those of high acidity, are sometimes left on the lees in order to promote the malo-lactic fermentation.
1959 Jrnl. Appl. Bacteriol. 22 385 Knowledge of the systematic classification of the malolactic bacteria is now much improved.
1991 Wine & Spirits Apr. 46/2 The total aroma profile of the full malolactic wine..is huge.
B. n.
Malolactic fermentation.
ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > drink > manufacture of alcoholic drink > wine-making > [noun] > fermentation > secondary
reboiling1432
malolactic1989
1989 Daily Tel. 16 Sept. (Colour Suppl.) 66/2 This involves..encouraging a second, softening fermentation called the ‘malolactic’.
1991 Wine Spectator 31 Aug. 43/2 After about four to five days, nearly all the wine is transferred to French oak casks, where the fermentation and the malolactic occurs [sic].
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2000; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.n.1908