FACULTAT D’ ENOLOGIA

Adaptation to Oenology

Chapter 2.
The Grey Rot;
Oenological
consequences and
detection methods in
winery
FACULTAT D’ ENOLOGIA
Adaptation to Oenology
FACULTAT D’ ENOLOGIA
Adaptation to Oenology

What does the dictionary say?

Botrytis cinerea [Botrytis cinerea ]

Common name: Grey Rot
Filamentous fungi that affects many plant
species including grapes
Class: Deuteromycetes
Order: Moniliales
Genre: Botrytis
Family: cinerea
FACULTAT D’ ENOLOGIA
Adaptation to Oenology

Strawberry Pear

Grapes

Tomato
FACULTAT D’ ENOLOGIA
Adaptation to Oenology

Botrytis is favored by certain environmental conditions

• Humidity •Temperature
• Rainfalls during maturation period
• Proximity to the sea, rivers, etc
• Vines in low permeability soils
• Plants with very vigorous growth

• The physical state of the grape

• Grape variety
• High yields
• Lack of aeration of the bunches
• Favored by Lobesia botrana, oidium, etc
 FACULTAT D’ ENOLOGIA
Adaptation to Oenology

The infection of the berry by Botrytis cinerea

Infection point
Healthy
Berry

Infected
Berry
Completely
Invaded
Berry
External
Mycelium Dried
Berries
FACULTAT D’ ENOLOGIA
Adaptation to Oenology
2. PROCESO de INFECCIÓN de Botrytis cinerea
INVASION OF BOTRYTIS CINEREA

1. Invasion of mycelial pectocelulosic walls

 FACULTAT D’ ENOLOGIA
Adaptation to Oenology
2. PROCESO de INFECCIÓN de Botrytis cinerea
INVASION OF BOTRYTIS CINEREA

2. Excretion of proteolytic and cellulolytic enzymes:

Poligalacturonase, pectin methyl esterase, cellulases and xilanases
 FACULTAT D’ ENOLOGIA
Adaptation to Oenology
2. PROCESO de INFECCIÓN de Botrytis cinerea
INVASIÓN OF BOTRYTIS CINEREA

3. Emission of hyphae to the surface of the grape.

Production and emission of conidiospores.
FACULTAT D’ ENOLOGIA
Adaptation to Oenology
2. PROCESO de INFECCIÓN de Botrytis cinerea
INVASION OF BOTRYTIS CINEREA

Massive infection: The Grey Rot

FACULTAT D’ ENOLOGIA
Adaptation to Oenology

1st Phase: Interior of the grape: Absence of oxygen

Anaerobic metabolism
sugars

Glucose/Fructose
GLYCOLYSIS
Fructose 1,6 diphosphate

NAD+

NADH
Glycerol
Piruvate
Krebs
Cycle
FACULTAT D’ ENOLOGIA
Adaptation to Oenology

2nd Phase: Exterior of the grape: Presence of oxygen

Aerobic metabolism
sugars

Glucose oxidase
Glucose Gluconic Acid

Gluconate quinase
O2

6-Phosphogluconic Acid

Vía de las pentosas

 FACULTAT D’ ENOLOGIA
Adaptation to Oenology

Normally the fungi develops initially

using anaerobic metabolism and then
when the mycelium goes abroad, starts Problems
using aerobic metabolism.

Nevertheless, under certain climatic

Raisining
conditions, berries dry up very quickly
preventing that Botrytis can use the Concentration
aerobic metabolism

Tokaji Sauternes

Citrus Almonds Dried fruits

fruits

Candied fruits
Honey
3. CANVIS METABOLICS
FACULTAT D’ ENOLOGIA
Adaptation to Oenology

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN

GREY ROT POURRITURE NOBLE

 Slow dehydration  Quick dehydration
 Development inside and  Development limited to the
outside of the grape interior of the grape berry

 Greater importance of  Greater importance of

degradation concentration
– 230 g/l Maximum of – until 380 g/l of sugars
sugars
– Titratable acidity well
– Titratable acidity very balanced
low
 Oxidative Metabolism  Anaerobic Metabolism
Gluconic Acid Accumulation Glycerol Accumulation
 FACULTAT D’ ENOLOGIA
Adaptation to Oenology

Pourriture Noble requires a lot of moisture in the mornings

and evenings of tremendous heat
In the case of Sauternes it is
usually formed fog at dawn due to
the proximity of the waters of the
Garonne and Ciron rivers, and high
temperatures. In addition there is
usually abundant rainfalls in
September.

Fog at dawn

In the afternoon the fog clears and

the heat dries out the berries through
the pores generated by Botrytis.
FACULTAT D’ ENOLOGIA
Adaptation to Oenology

Problems generated by Grey Rot(Botrytis cinerea)

- Problems in color (Browning)

- Problems of proliferation of microorganisms
- Problems de combination of SO2
- Problems of settling and filtration (b-glucans)
- Problems of moldy odor
- Problems of insufficient maturity
- Presence of Ocratoxin A (OTA)
 FACULTAT D’ ENOLOGIA
Adaptation to Oenology

Grey Rot (Botrytis cinerea)

- Problems of color
OH
OH O

O2
O

Browning
HO O
HO O

OH Laccase
=

OH
O

=
OH O
OH
Quercitin
Ortoquinone

OH
O
OH
O2
O

Oxidasic
+
HO O
HO O

OGlucosa Laccase OGlucose casse

OH
OH
Cyanidin Ortoquinone
FACULTAT D’ ENOLOGIA
Adaptation to Oenology

Apple Browning
FACULTAT D’ ENOLOGIA
Adaptation to Oenology

How to prevent browning?

Figure 1: 2008 Chardonnay juice color results after 14 hour treatment with
various antioxidants during juice settling (Photo credit: Enartis Vinquiry )
FACULTAT D’ ENOLOGIA
Adaptation to Oenology

Increasing the natural grape microbiota

Prevalence of yeast with low fermentative power
and Acetic Bacteria
Increase of microbial populations

(Barbe et al., 2001)

Infection by
other filamentous fungi Unpleasant
moldy odors
Aspergillus y Penicillium
FACULTAT D’ ENOLOGIA
Adaptation to Oenology

The presence of Botrytis cinerea in the grapes originates a great

combination of SO2 which decrease a lot its antiseptic and antioxidant effect

TL50 (mg.L-1)
300

150

../..

TL50 is the amount of SO2 necessary to 50 mg/L of Free SO2

FACULTAT D’ ENOLOGIA
Adaptation to Oenology

b-Glucans released by Botrytis cinerea provoke serious

problems of filtration

Influence of b-glucans on wine filtration

 FACULTAT D’ ENOLOGIA
Adaptation to Oenology

The addition of b-glucanases can improve the filtration of

wines from wines affected by Botrytis

III
Volum of filtered wine

I: Wine botrytisé

II: Wine botrytisé

II + 2 g/hl of glucanase

III: Wine botrytisé

+ 6 g/hl of glucanase

Time of filtration
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Adaptation to Oenology

Moldy odors Geosmin

CH3

(trans-1,10-dimethyl-trans-9-decalol)
OH
CH3

It seems that the Geosmin is produced by the joint action of

Botrytis cinerea and Penicillium espansum

La Guerche et al., (2005) Origin of (-)-geosmin on grapes: on the complementary action of two fungi, Botrytis cinerea and Penicillium
expansum. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, 88:131–139
FACULTAT D’ ENOLOGIA
Adaptation to Oenology

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a
mycotoxin produced by fungi
species of the genera
Aspergillus and Penicillium
FACULTAT D’ ENOLOGIA
Adaptation to Oenology

It is therefore clear that to produce quality wines is essential to

separate the grapes according to their healthy status
If you have a fast and reliable method to determine the degree of
Botrytis infection, you can:

1. Separate the healthy grapes from the rotten grapes and even
in problematic years made the separation depending on the
degree of infection.

2. Establish a price range in function of the health of the grapes.

3. Adapt winemaking to the level of presence of grey rot.

Obviously all this will improve the wine quality

 The million dolar
question

¿Which is the best method for determining

the presence of Botrytis cinerea in grapes?
A.Äcido glucónico
Laccasa Activity B. Elisa Test

C. Oxygen Consumption Gluconic Acid

D. Gluconic
D.
1 Acid