Why is testing for L-Malic Acid important in winemaking?
Malic Acid is one of the main acids found in the acidity of grapes. Its concentration decreases the more a grape ripens. Malic Acid provides a strong link to wines tasting ‘flat’ if there is not enough. If there is too much the wine will taste ‘sour’. It is vital that the levels of malic acid are monitored during the fermentation process.
Quantitative determination of malic acid is important in the manufacture of wine & beer. L-Malic acid levels decrease during fermentation and in the final stages of ripening malic acid decomposes and the grape can become over ripe. Therefore, malic acid is used in the wine industry to determine the ripeness and variety of grapes. Malic acid is the principle acid found in wine and the course of malolactic fermentation is monitored by tracking the falling level of L-malic acid, and the simultaneous increasing level of L-Lactic acid.
Randox Food Diagnostics offer multiple tests for wine analysis including L-Malic acid on both the RX misano and the RX monaco.
L-Malic Acid
| Method | No. of Tests | Catalogue No. | Sensitivity | Linearity |
| Manual | 40 | ML2634 | N/A | N/A |
| RX misano | 80 | ML2634 | 0.053 g/l | 1.44 g/l |
| RX monaco | 176 | ML8343 | 0.053 g/l | 1.00 g/l |
For more information please contact us at: info@randoxfooddiagnostics.com