(Wines&Vines) - Researchers at Washington State University are giving Brettanomyces the cold shoulder with new research that studies how temperature and sulfur dioxide impact the organism, and how the combination of the two help control its development in wine. Brettanomyces bruxellensis—the yeast commonly known as Brett—is a scourge of wineries. While the yeast may be naturally present in vineyards, it can produce compounds that impart earthy, barnyard characters to wine.