Winemakers may decide to promote or inhibit malolactic fermentation depending on the style of wine. Almost all red wines will benefit from malolactic fermentation. Winemakers will often inhibit the malolactic fermentation however with white or rosé styles where a crisper flavor is desired.

Wine is an unfriendly medium for microbial growth. It is very acidic, has a high ethanol content, and is nutrient poor once the primary fermentation is completed. Malolactic fermentations still manage to occur despite the difficult conditions. Certain actions performed by the winemaker will either make conditions more favorable or less favorable in the wine, and winemakers have a choice whether to allow or try to prevent the malolactic fermentation. The actions taken to promote the malolactic fermentation will be described here. The winemaker should perform the opposite of that action to inhibit the fermentation.

The first decision a winemaker makes is whether to inoculate for the malolactic fermentation. Natural fermentations are still a possible choice for the winemaker, but the use of a bacterial starter culture is an obvious decision to promote malolactic fermentations. The use of sulfur dioxide is the next major decision a winemaker utilizes. Bacteria are fairly sensitive to it and their growth is greatly inhibited if sufficient concentrations are present in wine. Almost all sulfur dioxide is bound following the primary fermentation and further additions should be kept to a minimum or avoided until the malolactic fermentation is completed. The temperature the wine is kept at will affect bacterial growth. Warmer temperatures promote bacterial growth and ideal conditions for the malolactic fermentation are above 18°C (64°F). Temperatures below 10°C (50°F) are very inhibitory. Lower alcohol levels in wine promote more growth, and alcohol levels above 14% are very inhibitory. Higher pH values promote the growth of bacteria. A pH value below 3.3 can be very difficult for successful malolactic fermentation and this should be considered when adjusting the pH of a juice or wine. The nutrient content of wines after primary fermentation is usually very poor. Winemakers can add one of several malolactic nutrient additions available on the market to promote malolactic fermentations. These are similar to the yeast nutrient additives, but formulated to promote favorable malolactic bacteria growth. The practice of sur lie ageing also promotes bacterial growth as extra nutrients are available from the spent yeast. Small amounts of oxygen promote growth as well. The practice of stirring barrels or racking wines in tank provides that oxygen.