Background: Botrytis cinerea (Bc) is the causative agent of gray mold disease in wine grape bunches. Under particular climatic and edaphic conditions, typical of some wine regions, the grapes infected by this fungus can develop noble rot, the basic phenomenon for the production of sweet botrytized wines or some high-quality dry wines, such as Amarone. The possibility of early detection of noble rot on plants and at postharvest is an interesting option for managing botrytized wines.

Results: The present work aimed at early detection of noble rot and monitoring its development, at postharvest, on Trebbiano wine grapes by means of destructive and non-destructive analytical approaches (e.g., electronic nose and near-infrared spectroscopy). The development of Bc led to substantial modifications in grape composition, including dehydration, biosynthesis, and accumulation of different compounds due to Bc metabolism, grape stress responses, or both. However, these modifications are appreciable, notably at advanced stages of infection. Consequently, a specific focus was to monitor the infection in the first 72 h post inoculation for testing, potentially through non-destructive technologies, and to identify the real early stages of Bc development.

Conclusion: The destructive chemical analyses performed over the 16 monitored days confirmed what is widely reported in the literature regarding the metabolic/compositional changes that occur following the development of Bc. Moreover, non-destructive technologies allowed us to identify the evolution of Bc, even at early stages of its presence. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.