Why does my wine smell like bandaids?

Have you ever smelt, tasted or drank a wine that had a particular "funk", you couldn't quite place? Perhaps you thought it was the terroir, or maybe you told yourself it must be old world, because of its discerning earthy stank. In any case - those poopy, bandaid, horse sweat, condom, and manure aromas are due to a certain type of yeast, known as a uni cellular fungus, familiar amongst the wine community as brettanomyces - often shortened to "brett".  It's sometimes referred to as a "spoilage yeast", which isn't entirely accurate, because brett is often responsible for incredibly distinguishing characteristics in oft, iconic wines. Without getting too nitty gritty into the science - brett is responsible for those funky, earthy, stanky aromas that have made a lot of old world wineries incredibly famous- Chateau Beaucastel of Chateauneuf du Pape, for example, or the horse saddle, red earth aromas of so many wines that come from South Africa.

In my opinion, a certain element of brett isn't necessarily a bad thing - as it can be responsible for a wide array of aromas - smoke, spice, barnyard - all aromas associated with many noble varieties and regions.

While personally I don't look for horse sweat or condom aromas in my wines - it has helped me over the years to categorize and file away specific regions and producers within my mental encyclopedia. Further, a certain element of brett can add a particular complexity to a wine within manageable levels.

Try to pick it out next time you taste one of the aforementioned wines - and see for yourself!