On June 12 and 13, 2012, the second International ML School – presented by Lallemand – was held in Toulouse. The training program brought together 55 researchers and winemakers, and representatives of eight countries, including the United States, South Africa, Italy, Spain, Slovenia, Australia, Germany and France. This initiative to support continuing education in the management of malolactic fermentation (MLF) is part of the training program in the Lallemand Malolactic Fermentation Education project.
The ML School training this year included a series of presentations by such experts in the field as Dr. Ramón Mira de Orduña (Cornell University, U.S.), Dr. Patricia Taillandier (Université de Toulouse, ENSIACET, France) and Dr. Sibylle Krieger, as well as Ms. Magali Déléris-Bou and Mr. José Maria Heras, members of the Lallemand research team. In addition, practical workshops on wine microbiology and tasting sessions provided an ideal opportunity for the participants to deepen their knowledge and understanding of malolactic bacteria (MLB).
The presentation by Mr. Patrice Laforce, who is in charge of Lallemand’s bacteria plant, followed by a tour of the facilities, allowed the participants to familiarize themselves with Lallemand’s savoir-faire in the area of producing lactic acid bacteria for winemaking.
The ML School strives to attain several objectives:
- To acquire technical and scientific knowledge in wine microbiology and in the appropriate management of MLF
- To understand the interactions among the different steps in the production of wines
- To become familiar with the particular nutritional needs of MLB
- To understand the positive impact of the appropriate management of MLF on the sensory quality of wines
- To become aware of the importance of the choice of selected MLB and the timing of inoculation for optimal impact on the sensory profiles of wines.
The participants expressed their great satisfaction with this two-day training experience, and the third international edition has already been added to the calendar of events for 2013.
The ML School also offers national training sessions that bring together winemakers in different countries. In 2012, such training have been held in Spain, Portugal and Italy, plus France in January 2013.
The picture above shows the participants at the second International ML School offered by Lallemand on June 12 and 13, 2012, in Toulouse.
