Ecology of Acetic Acid Bacteria

In the case of sound fruit, populations of acetic acid bacteria are expectedly low ( 100 CFU/g), comprised largely of the single species, G. oxydans, and potentially numerous strains, (Joyeux et al., 1984a Drysdale and Fleet, 1988). Splittstoesser and Churney (1992) report recovery of G. oxydans from New York State grapes at much higher levels, ranging upward to 10 CFU/g fruit. 

As ketogenesis requires oxygen and is inhibited at alcohol levels 5% (v/v) (Aldercreutz, 1986 Yamada et al., 1979), the presence of substantial amounts of dihydroxyacetone in wine likely reflects carryover from infected musts rather than formation during alcoholic fermentation. In this 

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