Forum: Wine Talk Posted By: Todd Hamina Post Time: 09-23-2007 at 07:24 PM

Forum: Beer, Spirits, NON-WINE Alcohol Posted By: Travis Fantz Post Time: 08-11-2008 at 09:10 PM

One of the recurring subjects in the wine world is brettanomyces, the rogue yeast that's common in red wines, and which some people think is always bad, and some people think can add complexity according to context. Kiwi winemaker Matt Thomson (Delta, Saint Clair etc.) ran a masterclass on the topic yesterday, organized by Liberty Wines, who Matt does quite a bit of work for in Italy...

... and Physiological Characterization of Brettanomyces bruxellensis Strains Isolated from Wines...

“Pierce’s Disease Symptoms: Comparison with Symptoms of Water Deficit and the Impact of Water Deficits” has been awarded the best viticulture paper published in AJEV in 2006. Authors Eleanor Thorne, Joshua Stevenson, Thomas Rost, John Labavitch, and Mark Matthews conducted the research at the University of California, Davis. The best ...

New oak barrels may be responsible for brettanomyces, consultant winemaker Matt Thomson has said...

The Agroscope research centre at Changins-Wädenswil in Switzerland plans to intensify its efforts in the fight against brettanomyces. This undesirable yeast is developing particularly strongly in the light of climate change...

Time to crack another of my 'natural' wines, which I purchased on a recent Paris trip. Now, although I'm a wine technology sort of guy, I'm not a wine faults policeman. The initial response of those who have learned to spot what are known as wine faults is to then police wines they taste for the faintest whiff of brettanomyces, or volatile acidity, or reduction. I prefer to treat each wine on its...

Margaret River. Western Australia Sealed with cork. 15% alcohol Approx A$35. Deep red, with a fading meniscus. Raisin, fruit cake, lifted alcoholic nose. Full and warming before an onslaught of brettanomyces taint (sticking plaster, horse hair, abrasive finish), which is unsuccessfully moderated by a lick of vanilla. Drink now. Cape Mentelle had major problems with brettanomyces...

Burgundy, France. 13% alcohol. Cork. Source: cellar.Fusty and showing signs decay, this smells of cured meat, undergrowth and earth. A sip reveals more animal - a gripping, rasping, horse flavoured animal. I would assume brettanomyces in bloom. Despite or because of this, there is structure and an expansiveness which makes this still quite enjoyable. Don't wait though, rust never sleeps...