🦠 Botrytis cinerea
A fungus that, depending on the weather, causes either grey rot or noble rot.
Botrytis cinerea is a fungus that settles on grape berries. The result depends on the weather. In damp weather it causes grey rot, and the crop is spoiled. In a dry, sunny autumn it causes noble rot, and sweet wines are made from such grapes.
How does it work? Grey rot develops on wet berries, covers them with a grey coating and ruins the bunches. Noble rot begins with morning mist and dry, warm days. The fungus finely pierces the skin, the berry loses water, and more sugar and aroma stay inside.
So the same fungus is a disaster for one winemaker and the basis of the best dessert wines for another. Growers watch the weather to pick at the right time.
The fungus counts among the diseases of the vine. In German it is called Grauschimmelfäule.
How it connects to Wine
🦠 Botrytis cinerea → kind of → 🌿 Viticulture → kind of → 🍷 Wine
Links
- What it affects
- 🦠 Botrytis bunch rot (grey rot), 🍷 Noble rot
- Part of
- 🌿 Viticulture
Frequently asked questions
What is botrytis cinerea?
A fungus that grows on grape berries and, depending on the weather, causes grey rot or noble rot.
How is noble rot different from grey rot?
Noble rot comes in a dry, warm autumn and concentrates the sweetness of the berries, while grey rot develops in wet weather and spoils the crop.
Which wines need noble rot?
Sweet dessert wines, where the berries lose water and gather sugar.
Similar
🦠 Grapevine diseases · 🦠 Grapevine pests · 🦠 European grapevine moth · 🦠 Botrytis bunch rot (grey rot)
Sources
- Wikipedia (en): Botrytis cinerea
- Wikipedia (de): Grauschimmelfäule
- Wikipedia (fr): Botrytis cinerea
- Wikipedia (uk): Botrytis cinerea
- Wikidata Q1135851