There are plenty of odd wine descriptors out there. Some make sense, and some seem like the last thing you’d want to find in your glass. But what do these descriptors mean, and do you want to find them in your wine? This week we’re exploring another weird wine term – barnyard in wine.
You may have heard a wine described as having a barnyard characteristic. “Oh yes, I distinctly smell barnyard in this wine” might be something you’d hear someone say if they are trying to be impressive (in my humble opinion). When I first heard this term, I laughed. Why on earth would you want to drink a wine that tastes like a barnyard? It immediately makes me think of dirt, animal droppings, and hay. I don’t know about you, but it’s not really something I would think would be a good thing!
But barnyard in wine can be a good thing, and can really balance out a wine. So let’s dive into this weird wine descriptor and what it means.
What is barnyard in wine?
Barnyard is a very unique and particular characteristic that you can find across wines. The thing about barnyard is that is isn’t something you’ll taste in the glass, it is something you will smell. Barnyard in wine is an aroma – so you don’t need to worry about the wine tasting like it!
When you think of what goes on in a barnyard, there is so much variety for this aroma to play with. It could be anything from walking into a horse barn – earthy with a smell of fresh hay, to something a lot earthier – think the slightly less appealing aspects of the barnyard. Well – maybe not appealing to some, but to others!
Where does barnyard in wine come from?
So where does this come from? Well, barnyard in wine comes from one particular organism called Brettanomyces, or Brett for short. It is a wild yeast that sometimes makes its way into the winemaking process from the grape skins or barrels. Brett is a versatile guy, producing a range of smells, some being less appealing (Band-Aids, rancid, cheese anyone?). But it can also produce aromas of bacon, leather, spices and horse stable/barnyard.
At low levels, Brett can add additional notes to the wine. Think leather and spices. At higher levels, it might make the wine a bit funky, but it is completely up to personal preference whether you like that or not. Some people love a bit of barnyard in their wine, and that’s completely ok! If it works with the style of wine, it just adds complexity of layers to the wine, which can be a good thing.
Where to find it
You can find barnyard in wine in any wine technically. Although you can find this flavour in white wines, it is usually found in red wines. Barnyard gives an element of rustic, rough, dry/dank hay to the wine which can work really well in complex red wines. However, it might overpower a delicate wine.
In summary, barnyard in wine isn’t a bad thing
Smelling this seems like something you won’t want to find in your glass, but it can actually add a lot of complexity to a wine. What it comes down to, as per usual, is your personal preference. Some might love the funky smell that you get from this, but others might rather their wine without it. And that’s totally ok! It is all about drinking what you love, and if you don’t want a wine with stable in it, that doesn’t mean you are less of a wine drinker.