Noble rot, also known as ‘Botrytis cinerea’, is a beneficial fungus that affects wine grapes. Under specific conditions, this fungus can lead to the production of some of the world’s best sweet wines. When the fungus attacks the grape, it causes the grape to shrivel, concentrating the sugars and flavours. This results in a very sweet and complex wine.
Some well-known wines produced from grapes affected by noble rot include Sauternes from France and Tokaji from Hungary. Not all occurrences of Botrytis Cinerea are beneficial. In conditions where the grapes remain wet for extended periods, the fungus can lead to ‘grey rot’, which is detrimental to wine production.
There’s more reading on SevenFiftyDaily on The Science Behind Noble Rot.
