Oenococcus is a genus of
Gram-positive bacteria, placed within the family
Leuconostocaceae. The only species in the genus was
Oenococcus oeni (which was known as
Leuconostoc oeni until 1995). In 2006, the species
Oenococcus kitaharae was identified. As its name implies,
Oenococcus oeni holds major importance in the field of
oenology, where it is the primary bacterium involved in completing the
malolactic fermentation.