I've never even heard of the term before
Which probably means you have not come in contact with the red wine making. Brettanomyces sp. are wild yeasts that infect wineries and wine. Too much of brett growth means too much phenols and eventual degradation of the wine's aroma. The volatile phenols give wine that "earthiness" and "yeastiness", which also is frequently described as "mouse droppings" :-)
Supposedly, a limited brett growth can enrich bouquet and make a wine better but that's a balancing act that's almost impossible to control.
and all of the sudden I get a
>newsletter from LS announcing new beers and, well, here is the applicable >part:
>
>Andelot "Reinaert Wild Ale" 330ml:
>This one is a fun strong golden that fermented with some wild brettanomyces.
>The brett is not over done. It does provide a low level earthiness to it,
>which adds some complexity. Malty up front with some wild yeastiness to it.
>Light fruity ester flavor like many Belgians but the finish dry and hoppy.
Interesting. If this beer is any good, I'd guess it is a difficult one to make.
DK