Today, we dive into the intriguing world of wine, exploring why some bottles can unpleasantly surprise your senses with aromas resembling barnyards or dirty socks. Drawing from my doctoral research on the pesky wine spoilage yeast, Brettanomyces bruxellensis, at Washington State University under Dr. Edwards, I'll unpack how this microorganism infiltrates wineries and impacts your wine’s bouquet. From unsettling findings in vineyard pumice to the challenges of eradicating Brett from oak barrels, join me as we unravel the complexities of wine microbiology.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• What causes wine spoilage
• Used barrels, insects, and bulk wine
• Compounds produced by Brettanomyces and their effects
• Study on the survival of Brettanomyces in vineyard conditions
• … and how to control Brettanomyces populations

Jump to:

(03:22) How compounds in wine create various aromas.

(07:20) Studying Brettanomyces survival in Washington vineyards.

(10:16) Heating methods and effects on oak barrels.

(12:53) How Brettanomyces populations in oak barrels are affected.

(18:26) This episode’s song and mantra.

This episodes song and artist:

• SOULMATES
• CΔTΔLYST

Links mentioned in this episode:

‘Survival of Brettanomyces bruxellensis in grape pomace and reduction of populations by application of heat and sulfites’ by Z.M. Cartwright and B.R. Bondada

‘Application of Heated Water to Reduce Populations of Brettanomyces bruxellensis Present in Oak Barrel Staves’ by Z.M. Cartwright and Charles G Edwards

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