To explore the effect of malolactic fermentation (MLF) on the quality of Merlot low alcohol rose wine, the experiment was carried out according to the optimization of different inoculation methods. Merlot grapes were used as material for alcoholic fermentation (AF) and MLF induced by commercial yeast and Oenococcus oeni (O. oeni) inoculated simultaneously, then the inoculation amounts of mixed fermentation were optimized and the effect of MLF on wine aroma quality was analyzed by micro fermenting experiment. The results showed that the most kinds (28) and the highest content (3229.52μg/L) of esters were detected in the fermentation samples with MLF compared with the control group without MLF, and the content of esters, acids, aldehydes and ketones had significant differences with the other four treatment groups (P<0.05). According to the single factor and orthogonal test, the factors influencing inoculation amounts of MLF for Merlot low alcohol rose wine were as follows: the O. oeni (7%), non-Saccharomyces cerevisiae (0.35g/L) and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (0.25g/L). Under this conditions, the softness index of the fermented wine was the highest (1.229) and the contents of esters, alcohols and acid compounds were increased significantly. The sensory analysis showed that MLF induced with simultaneous inoculation not only imparted strong fruit and floral aromas to the wine, but also enhanced the complexity and layers of the aroma. Comprehensive analysis showed that MLF could significantly improve the aroma and sensory quality of Merlot low alcohol rose wine.