Deviations from the normal course of fermentation have been a major problem in wine production. It is important to know the factors affecting the fermentation in order to avoid sluggish or stuck fermentation and prevent economic losses. Numerous studies have shown that deviations from the normal course of fermentation can have multiple causes. This paper gives a brief overview of the most important factors affecting the wine fermentation, that can be further grouped into three categories, namely - the absence or lack of nutrients, the presence of compounds that inhibit the alcoholic fermentation and the impact of oenological practices. In addition to individual effects of certain factors, the fermentation speed can decrease because of the synergistic action of various factors, which makes fermentation problems even more complex.