Friday, September 26, 2014

Dirty rotten scoundrels.

This time last week there were some rotten little scoundrels hanging around, up to no good, in the Pinot grigio block.
The above photograph of a cluster of grapes infected with Botrytis cinerea isn't that great (I could have fetched a better lens from the house, but I didn't).  However, the proficiency of the dessicating ability of this dastardly, necrotrophic organism is evident in the way in which it has sucked the living daylights out of the lower half of this cluster (the top half of the cluster looked perfectly normal).
Most of the infected clusters were discarded, but it's possible that some made it into the mix.  No biggie.

6 comments:

Thomas said...

You should use them and make "natural" wine.

Vinogirl said...

Tomasso: I know of a few winemakers who go the native/natural route for their fermentations. Not knowing exactly what strain of yeast is present in Vinoland, Vinomaker chooses to use a cultivated yeast thus ensuring that the cell count is high enough to dominate the indigenous yeast (and other microorganisms) and to reduce the potential of problems like VA occuring.

New Hampshire Wineman said...

VG: Yuck! Good luck with this. Are you stuck on "No biggie" or is that optimism? Of course some grapes use this necrotrophic organism to make dessert wines, but either way yuck! When I drink a dessert wine from now on I'll have this picture in mind :-(
Oh what lens should have grabbed?

Vinogirl said...

NHW: No, noble rot is a nice little scoundrel...Sauternes with foie gras, yum!
Nikkor Micro 105mm 1:2.8G

Thomas said...

Dennis: noble rot and this infection are not the same. This one is the result of moisture during ripening; the other is the result of drying.

VG: I was being facetious about "natural" wine.

Vinogirl said...

Tomasso: Naturally :)