This mould or fungus disease attacks the (Noble Rot) ripe grapes under certain temperatures (Edelvrot) and levels of humidity. The spores germinate on the surface of the grape. They send down germination tubes which penetrate the skin and work their way into the pulp. The water in the grapes evaporates and a shriveled, dehydrated berry is left with a very high sugar content. This is then turned into a rich, sweet wine – such as a Special Late Harvest and a Noble Late Harvest.

a parasitic fungus which if present in a vineyard can attack ripe berries, removing water and concentrating the sugar and flavour constituents of the grape. Depending on how the winemaker planned to use the grape, its presence can either be a cause for celebration, or a disaster. In the Semillon, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc it presence can result in sensational dessert wines.

The cause of Noble Rot, Botrytis cinerea is a fungus which, under suitable conditions, attacks grapes on the vines, leaving them shrivelled and dehydrated. For many grapes this can be a disaster, but the process is also invaluable in the production of sweet wines in Bordeaux, Austria, Germany and Tokaji. In unfavourable conditions the fungus is the cause of Grey Rot.

Called the "Noble Rot". A beneficial and often highly desirable mold or fungus that attacks grapes under certain climatic conditions and causes them to shrivel, deeply concentrating the flavors, sugar, and acid.

Known as noble rot and is desirable on grapes that are being used to produce dessert wines.

Sometimes called 'noble rot'. A fungus which attacks ripe grapes, diluting and removing the water and concentrating the sugar. Grapes which have been attacked by this parasitic fungus make some of the sweetest wines.

Scientific name for a type of grape mould that under the right climatic conditions concentrates grape sugars, resulting in sweet white wines with complex 'dried apricot' like flavours and luscious texture. Under damp cold conditions, it produces mouldy grapes and mouldy flavoured wines. Synonyms: noble rot. Also see Grey rot.

A fungus that attacks the grapes and reduces water content, causing them to shrivel. This concentration increases the grapes sugar and acid content. Botrytis only occurs in certain areas of high humidity and only under certain conditions.

a beneficial fungus that, under certain conditions, attacks grapes and causes them to shrivel. This condition results in concentrated sweet wines such as Sauternes and late-harvest Rieslings.

A beneficial mold that is primarily responsible for the special character of dessert wines from Sauternes (France) and much of Germany. This naturally occurring mold extracts water from the grapes, leaving the juice that remains — and the resulting wine — sweet and highly concentrated, with what many describe as a honeyed character. Wines made from botrytis-infected grapes are expensive, in part because the climatic conditions necessary to produce botrytis are unpredictable and cannot be reproduced artificially.

Fungus that can grow on vines and can have a favorable effect on wine quality - when managed properly it can bring out sweet, honeyed flavors

A very desirable mould which affects grapes under natural conditions and causes the concentration of sugars in the fruit, which in turn produces wine of sweetness. You'll also hear it referred to as 'noble rot'.

A fungus particularly harmful to red grapes as it causes premature ageing and browning in the final wine. But on healthy white grapes it becomes Noble Rot which shrivels the fruit and concentrates the sugar allowing for the creation of some the worlds classic dessert wines like Sauternes and Tokaji, however the climatic conditions required (alternating periods of moisture and sunny periods) do not occur in all vintages and these wines cannot be produced every year.

fungus which causes gray rot in grapes and stimulates production of resveratrol.

Called the "Noble Rot." A beneficial mold or fungus that attacks grapes under certain climatic conditions and causes them to shrivel, deeply concentrating the flavors, sugar and acid. Some of the most famous examples come from Sauternes (Château d'Yquem), Germany and Tokay.

A mold that attacks certain grapes, producing honeyed sweet wines like Sauternes and late-harvest Rieslings.

A naturally ocurring mould. Infection is desirable in autumn on grapes being used to produce dessert wines. The mould pierces the skin of the grapes, slowly dehydrating each berry. When the berries are picked they contain very small amounts of juice that with high concentration of sugar and flavour.

The fungus that attacks the grape skins under specific climatic conditions (usually alternating periods of moisture and sunny weather). It causes the grape to become superconcentrated because it causes a natural dehydration. Botrytis cinerea is essential for the great sweet white wines of Barsac and Sauternes. It rarely occurs in the Rhône Valley because of the dry, constant sunshine and gusty winds.

beneficial mold or fungus that attacks grapes under certain climat conditions … causes grapes to shrivel and deeply concentrate their flavours, sugar and acid.

See Noble rot.

Latin name for one of many molds which attacks grapes on the vine. Under the proper conditions and at the proper time, this mold will often have a beneficial affect upon the resulting wine's quality. Grapes affected beneficially by the mold, called noble rot, may smelI more or less like peaches or apricots.

A parasitic fungus, which, if present in a vineyard, can attack ripe grapes, removing water and concentrating sugar and flavour components. It helps to make great sweet white wines.

Pronounced boh-TRI-tis sin-EHR-ee-uh, this is a desirable fungus (also called "noble rot") that can attack grapes left on the vine past ripeness. It causes the water to be dehydrated out of a grape. Many late-harvest and dessert wines are affected by botrytis. Botrytisied wines have added extract (those substances that contribute to the character and flavor of a wine) and, consequently, are richer, with a distinctive honey-like taste.

A mold that attacks certain types of grapes that produces sweet wines like Sauternes.

A fungus or mold that causes grapes to shrivel and become very concentrated. Also called the "Noble Rot," it is a desirable condition and causes ripe grapes to shrivel, resulting in the remaining juice becoming very concentrated. Such nobly rotted grapes yield the honeyed richness of many classic dessert wines like French Sauternes, German Trockenbeerenauslese, and Hungarian Tokaji. Conditions are right for the formation of Botrytis only in certain vintages and the wines cannot be produced in every year.

Sounds great, eh? In spite of the unappetizing name, Botrytis cinerea or the "Noble Rot," is truly amazing and is partly responsible for many of the world's greatest dessert wines. Under the right conditions the Botrytis mold attacks the skin of the grape, allowing the water to partially evaporate. The remaining juice is, of course, much more concentrated than normal. The grape clusters *look* positively awful and are exceedingly fragile as well. But oh, what an elixir comes out of the press.

Is there such a thing as good mold? Better than good, this is the technical term for what is known in the wine industry as Noble Rot, a beneficial mold that reduces perfectly healthy grapes into shriveled up, slimy little masses of pulp. The benevolent twin of a much more common fungus known as grey rot, this noble mold is most famous for the role it plays in the production of Chateau d'Yquem of Sauternes, one of the world's most expensive wines. Tokaji Aszu from Hungary and examples from New Zealand and Australia are a fraction of the cost of Sauternes, and are benchmark expressions of the toffee, nutty, pheromone-like, and floral qualities that result from the mold. Quarts de Chaume and Bonnezeaux from the Loire Valley's Coteaux du Layon, Selections de Grains Nobles from Alsace, and Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese from Germany and Austria are notable, if expensive, examples of botrytis-affected sweet wines as well. The mold does attack grapes destined for dry wines too. In fact, chardonnay is a common victim, though its effects tend to be downplayed.

A mold that concentrates the sugar and flavor of grapes.

Botrytis cinerea is a fungus that affects many plant species, although its most economically important hosts are wine grapes. In viticulture, it is commonly known as botrytis bunch rot; in horticulture, it is usually called grey mould or gray mold. The fungus gives rise to two different kinds of infections on grapes.