Botrytized wine (moulded wines)
Consulting any wine dictionary we will find the word “botrytized”, the definition is of this type: “a wine is said to be “botrytized” if it comes from grapes attacked by ‘noble rot’, better known as Botrytis Cinerea”.
We must know that in wine the molds are negative. All, with the exception of the aforementioned Botrytis cinerea, the gray mold that in special conditions transforms into “noble” and gives fine and unmistakable wines.
The name “Botrytis Cinerea” comes from Greek and Latin and literally means “cluster of ash (gray)”. Among winemakers it is also known as “gray mold” or “gray rot”, precisely in reference to the color taken on by the grapes when attacked by this parasite. What is Botrytis cinerea. It is a parasitic fungus that is very common in nature and attacks grapes during ripening. The name comes from the Greek Botrys, which means bunch of grapes, and the Latin cinereus, which indicates the color of ash.
The Vinter, how to behave in the presence of noble rot. During the harvest, the bunches affected by Botrytis must be selected, with a detail that reaches down to the single grape (the mold, in fact, attacks the grapes in an irregular way). The result depends above all on the percentage of bunches affected by noble rot that can be brought to the cellar. It is exhausting work that then continues with long refinements.
What are the characteristics of a “botrytized” wine? The wine that is obtained from the “noble” version of Botrytis Cinerea is defined as “botrytized”, as an adaptation of the term “Botrytis” to the Italian language.
A “botrytized wine” is a passito wine characterized by a sweetness, richness and aromatic complexity that are difficult to find in other wines.
In Italy we have many of them, bad news for those who appreciate these wines, in Canada we have only one winery that sometimes produces them and it is 40 Knots Vineyard Est Winery Comox BC