The yeast species Dekkera bruxellensis shows up in many fermentation processes, playing a strong role in shaping the style of beverages such as wine, beer and cider; and impacting on the efficiency of biofuel production. In wine, growth of D. bruxellensis post-alcoholic fermentation is associated with production of volatile phenols that impart 'medicinal' and 'barnyard' aromas. These aromas are known colloquially by the industry as 'Brett' character, and 'Brett' is generally regarded as a negative. To further our understanding of this species, we sequenced and de-novo assembled the genome of the predominant spoilage strain in Australia, finding a complex and highly heterozygous triploid genome enriched in membrane transport proteins and oxidoreductase enzymes. Subsequent re-sequencing and transcriptomic studies have been undertaken to gain insight into evolution of the species, and the adaptations that enable its growth and survival for long periods in wine.