With wines that have excessive levels of diacetyl, some winemakers use sulfur dioxide to bind with the compound and reduce the perception of diacetyl by 30 to 60%. This binding is a reversible process and after only a few weeks aging in the bottle or tank, the high levels of diacetyl return. However, sulfur dioxide added earlier in the malolactic fermentation process limits diacetyl production by inhibiting the bacteria and limiting their activity in its entirety, including the conversion of malic to lactic acid.