The Banana, Musa sapientum, is a very common fruit tree from the tropics. It is native to Southeast Asia, but is now grown throughout the tropics. It grows in large bunches and the individual fruit or fingers are often know as a banana. They have a distinct aroma and some people maintain that the banana peel and fleshy inside edible fruit have different aromas.
Banana and Wine
Unlike Eucalyptus which can show up in wine due to its proximity to the vineyards, Banana trees rarely grow in the same region as vineyards. However, it is often reported in the aromas of white wines. It is most commonly found in red wines featuring the Pinotage grape varietal. I’ve also seen it mentioned in reviews of Beaujolais Nouveau.
Look for future reviews of Pinotage based wines as I look for the presence of Banana in wine. Do you know of any good ones to try?
Nice post PalateMatch; I pick up banana in the wines you named, especially Beaujolais Nouveau and well made Pinotage examples. I also pick this aroma up in some South African Chardonnays. More recently, I visited Pollak Vineyards here in Virginia and they had a very ripe Chardonnay in tank that was giving off strong banana aromas; it also had pear and tropical nuances so should be interesting to swirl, sniff, and sip the final product.
Happy Sipping!
Dezel
Dezel,
Thanks for the pointer to Pollak Vineyards. Their Cabernet Franc looks interesting as well. I just read your post about them and will be looking for their products.
Cheers!