Banana may seem like a flavour that you would not expect or want to find in your wine glass. Bananas are great in smoothies, and banana bread, but they aren’t something I’d usually think to seek out in my wine. But as weird as it is, banana as a tasting note can be found in wines. In this wine terms explained article, we dive into the banana wine tasting note and give you everything you need to know. What it tastes like, how it ends up in wine, and where you might find it.
Banana wine tasting note explained
A banana wine tasting note is not something that is created by bananas. Big surprise there as like any other fruit flavour in wine, it is not the addition of the fruit that creates the flavour but the brain’s memory connecting the aroma of the wine to that fruit or smell.
Smelling banana in wine isn’t normally one that will remind you of fresh banana but is more likely to be a banana candy type flavour, although it can sometimes present as an extra ripe banana. What this is caused by is an ester called isoamyl acetate, which is a type of compound found in wine and other types of food. Not quite as fun, but there nonetheless!
How is it created?
So how does a banana wine tasting note get created? Unlike many fruit notes in wine which are normally primary (created in the vineyard – learn more about this here), isoamyl acetate is usually created in the winemaking process. This is because of a process called carbonic maceration. In this process, the grapes are sealed in a vessel filled with carbon dioxide before regular fermentation. It can also be created from the yeasts in regular fermentation too.
Other notes created using this process and quite similar to this aroma are bubblegum and pears. So if you’re finding those notes in your wine, carbonic maceration is your culprit.
Where you’ll find it
The most famous wine with a banana wine tasting note is Beaujolais, particularly Beaujolais Nouveau. The wineries out the south of Burgundy in France use this method commonly to produce this wine from the Gamay grape, and so often you will find a banana note in the wine, along with distinctive juicy or subtly tropical flavours.
This is the interesting thing about this note as it seems like it would be a white wine tasting note when in fact it can be found in red and white. Along with Beaujolais, bananas can be found in South African Pinotage and some red wines from Northern Italy.
In white wines, banana’s flavour profile is among tropical fruits and as they are fermented at a cooler temperature, this can enhance the ripe banana notes. You can sometimes find bananas in wines such as Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Albarino.
Is a banana wine tasting note a good thing?
So is banana as a wine tasting note a good thing? Well, like most things it comes down to personal preference. You may not like bananas, and that’s ok. But if it is something that you enjoy, maybe try finding one of the wines above to give it a go. Your best bet would be starting with Beaujolais which is known for this flavour profile. It’s always fun to try new wines and wine tasting notes, and this is one of the more unique ones I’ve seen around!