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by Fred McMillin
for February 10, 1998
Botrytis the Beautiful
Prologue
1967—"In no area outside of Europe has it so far proved possible to make [Botrytis cinerea] sweet wines.
The essential weather conditions have reportedly been found in California but there have been no further developments."
...Alexis Lichine in "Encyclopedia of Wines"
The Rest of the Story
There have been a lot of "further developments" since the late Alexis Lichine wrote those words. Not
only has California learned how to produce those special sweet wines, but so has New York. Long Island's Palmer
Vineyards drew comments from the New York Times...lingering honey flavor...compares favorably with its French counterpart,
etc. But wait just one darn minute.
What on earth is Botrytis cinerea (bow-try-tihs sin-eh-ray-uh)? of all things, it is a member of the fungus family
that includes mushrooms and truffles. If Mother Nature is kind enough to supply alternating periods of high moisture
followed by dry periods, here's what happens. The moisture allows the Botrytis to form on the grapes and send millions
of tiny tubes through the grape skin. Then the drying period allows the water in the grape to escape through the
tubes. This concentrates the sugar as one would expect. But what is UNEXPECTED is the creation of a honeyed, spicy
flavor that's found in most of the world's greatest dessert wines. To taste what a mere fungus can achieve, here's
your chance.
The Wine
1994 Dessert Gewurztraminer, Select Harvest
Palmer Vineyards
Tasting Notes—Highlight it after the meal by serving with thin slices of medium sharp white cheese and crisp,
quality crackers. It will dominate the conversation.
The Man Who Made It—Dan Kleck, (516) 722-5364
Price—$15 (375 ml.)
Postscript
We are not kidding about the loss of water through those millions of Botrytis tubes. Alice and Myron Nightingale
pioneered the scientific study of the phenomenon. Typical result: 2.5 tons of ripe grapes were down to 1.2 tons
when ready for winemaking.
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About the Writer
Fred McMillin, a veteran wine writer, has taught wine history for 30 years on three continents. He currently
teaches wine courses at San Francisco State and San Francisco City College and is Northern California Editor for
American Wine on the Web. In 1995, the Academy of Wine Communications honored Fred with one of only 22 Certificates
of Commendation awarded to American wine writers. |
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More articles by
Fred McMillin
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