Noble Rot

Botrytis cinerea, commonly called “noble rot,” is a beneficial fungus that’s needed to produce many of the world’s great sweet wines, including Sauternes and Tokaji Aszú. When noble rot attacks grapes, it covers them with a thin, gray mold that penetrates the grape skins. The mold multiplies by using water in the grapes to grow and spread. Without much water inside, each grape possesses a higher concentration of sugar, acid, and ultimately, flavor. The first intentionally botrytis-infected wines were made in the Tokaji region in Hungary in the early 1600s.

This wine word is from Karen MacNeil’s Dictionary of Wine Terms.

These words in these countries all mean the same thing: Alte Reben (Germany), Vinas Viejas (Spain), and Antico Vitigno (Italy).

Answer: True.

Old vines are treasured everywhere in the world—so much so that the term "old vines" is often printed right on the label. As a vine ages, it becomes very well adapted to its environment. It learns not to expend energy forming unnecessary leaves or shoots. And rather than producing dozens of clusters of grapes, it focuses on just a few that it can ripen perfectly. Interestingly, what makes an old vine old is not regulated or defined by law. That said, most top producers in the world consider a vine to be old once it's over 40 years old.

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Noble Rot

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