Noble rot

From ArticleWorld

Noble rot, also called bunch rot, is a benevolent form of grey fungus that affects wine grapes, as well as other plants. Grapes can become infested with noble rot during moist conditions. If the weather stays moist for too long, grey rot can develop and the entire crop can be lost.

Wines

If picked at the right time during infestation, grapes with noble rot can produce a very concentrated, sweet dessert wine. Some of the finest wines are literally picked berry by berry. Many countries produce these wines including Hungary, France, Austria, and Germany. Beerenauslese is a German wine term and a type of dessert wine. The word beerenauslese means selected berries, and refers to the fact that the grapes are individually picked and are at least partially affected with noble rot. These wines are desirable enough that winemakers will infect their crops on purpose. The spores are imported by winemakers, in both California and Australia, and sprayed other the crops to induce infection.

Berries

Grey rot is also known to affect other plants, for example strawberries. Unlike wine grapes, the affected strawberries are not able to be used for anything and are discarded. To minimize infection in strawberry fields, a good ventilation system around the berries is vital. This helps prevent moisture being trapped among leaves and berries. This is accomplished by avoiding planting the strawberry plants directly on the ground, but rather elevate them slightly from the dirt.