what is noble rot?

Answer 1

Noble rot (French: pourriture noble; German: Edelfäule) is the benevolent form of a grey fungus, Botrytis cinerea, affecting wine grapes. Infestation by Botrytis requires moist conditions, and if the weather stays wet, the malevolent form, "grey rot", can destroy crops of grapes. Grapes typically become infected with Botrytis when they are ripe, but when then exposed to drier conditions become partially raisined and the form of infection brought about by the partial drying process is known as noble rot. Grapes when picked at a certain point during infestation can produce particularly fine and concentrated sweet wine. Some of the finest Botrytized wines are literally picked berry by berry in successive tris (French for "sortings").

Answer 2

It is a type of rot on grapes. Usually rot destroys the grapes, but this has an unusual beneficial effect, and is encouraged in many places for the making of very sweet wines -- and has been given the name Noble.

This rot lives on the grape skins and sucks the water out from the grapes leaving them dehydrated thus concentrating the essence of the grape. By pressing these dried raisined grapes which have had their water removed you get an intense very sweet wine.

The famous sweet wines of Sauternes in France are among those that are made from nobly rotted -- or botrytized - grapes.

Answer 3

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noble_rot