A few months ago at a meeting I heard some say that they had tasted some Brett wine. Context clues indicated rather quickly that they weren't actually talking about a person's new label but rather a problem with the wine. I'd never heard the term used before, but now, having read about it I'm thankful that it's never been a problem in my glass.

Brettanomyces is a non-spore forming genus of yeast in the family Saccharomycetaceae, and is often colloquially referred to as "Brett". The genus name Dekkera is used interchangeably with Brettanomyces, as it describes the teleomorph or spore forming form of the yeast. The cellular morphology of the yeast can vary from ovoid to long "sausage" shaped cells. The yeast is acidogenic and when grown on glucose rich media produce large amounts of acetic acid. Brettanomyces is important to both the brewing and wine industries due to the sensory compounds it produces - Wikipedia

Sounds pretty icky huh?

People say that if you've ever had a Brett wine you know it. The most common aromas described in Brett wines are Band-aids, antiseptic and horse stables or the smell of sweaty animals, cheese and rancidity. Sounds like a real treat doesn't it?

There is some argument (have I ever mentioned that the wine world is a little like a soap opera?) that Brettanomyces is good is small quantities because it provides some complex aromas and flavors that help make a wine distinctive and interesting. For the most part though, people agree that too much Brett is a bad thing. You can't even cook with a Brett wine because it will impart those nasty aromas into your food.

Now I've had some wines that really taste like antiseptic, and I'm wondering if that was an indication of Brett or just high alcohol content? Apparently it's more prevalent in red wines, but can be noticed in some Chardonnays and Sauvignon Blancs. The fungus matures best in the barrel fermentation process and can be combated by lowering temperatures.

I've heard rumors - not saying who - that lots of wines from the last vintage are tasting/smelling of Brett. This does not bode well for those of us who enjoy the smell of our wine as much as the taste. Can't you just hear the conversations now?

"Hmm, it has a distinct nose of band-aid and...let me see...is that sweaty horse? No I think it's wet straw, yes definitely wet straw."

"See now I'm getting pungent cheese and a bit of dead rat."

"Oh sure, now that you mention it I can smell the dead rat too!"

Lovely.

So stay away from Brett. He's a bad man. He ruins wine. The jerk!.