botrytis
Grape fungus, welcomed
Botrytis is a fungus that attacks plants, appearing as fuzzy gray mold on fruits, vegetables, and flowers.
In winemaking, botrytis is prized when it affects ripe grapes under the right conditions—called noble rot—concentrating sugars to produce intensely sweet dessert wines like Sauternes: The botrytis gave the wine notes of honey and apricot.
Desirable grape fungus
- SauternesFrench dessert wine appellation
- dessert wineSweet post-meal libation
- late harvestCrops collected past prime
- vineyardGrape-growing estate
grape · vintner · oenology · harvest · terroir · appellation
Sweetened or flattering
- apricotFuzzy orange stone fruit
- marmaladeCitrus preserve with peel
- raisinyLike dried grapes
- caramelizedBrowned through sugar heating
beeswax · fig · ginger · saffron · unctuous · viscous · complexity · richness
Organic breakdown process
- moldForm-giving container
- spoilageFood degradation process
- deteriorationProcess of declining quality
- decompositionBreakdown into simpler parts
mildew · taint · shriveling · desiccation · withering · dehydration · moisture · humidity
Fungal filament network
Plant disease causing decay
- leaf spotPlant disease symptom
- stem rotDisease attacking plant stalks
- necrosisLocalized cell death
- infectionPathogen invasion causing illness
dieback · chlorosis · canker · wilt · downy mildew · powdery mildew · crown rot · sporulation
noble rot
Desirable grape fungus
- SauternesFrench dessert wine appellation
- dessert wineSweet post-meal libation
- late harvestCrops collected past prime
vineyard · grape · vintner · oenology · harvest · terroir · appellation
honeyed
Sweetened or flattering
caramelized · beeswax · fig · ginger · saffron · unctuous · viscous · complexity · richness · sweetness
rot
Organic breakdown process
- moldForm-giving container
- spoilageFood degradation process
- deteriorationProcess of declining quality
decomposition · mildew · taint · shriveling · desiccation · withering · dehydration · moisture · humidity · overripe
mycelium
Fungal filament network
pathogen · mycology · aspergillus · penicillium · saprophyte
blight
Plant disease causing decay
infection · dieback · chlorosis · canker · wilt · downy mildew · powdery mildew · crown rot · sporulation
botrytishealthy
In good physical condition
disease-free · clean · uninfected · sound · pristine