🍷 Botrytised wine

Botrytised wine is a sweet wine made from grapes affected by the fungus Botrytis cinerea. In good conditions it is called "noble rot". The fungus pierces the skin, water leaves the berry, and sugar and acid become concentrated. It needs special weather: damp, misty mornings so the fungus can develop, and dry, warm afternoons so the berries dry out instead of rotting. That is why these wines are not made every year. The berries are often picked by hand in several passes, taking only the affected ones. The result is a thick wine with notes of honey, dried fruit and apricot. The best-known examples are Sauternes in France and Tokaji Aszú in Hungary. Similar wines are also made in Germany and Austria. They are closely tied to the idea of noble rot and belong to the sweet wine traditions of French, Hungarian, German and Austrian wine. Because little juice is obtained and much work is done by hand, these wines cost more than ordinary ones.