MID-NOVEMBER "Yuck!" would be a natural reaction to this moldy cluster, but believe it or not, these are the grapes that Dolce hopes for every year. Perfectly botrytised, covered with spores, purple and shriveled on the outside, these grapes contain the most sweet, concentrated, ethereal juice imaginable.

Botrytis is the key to the magic of Dolce. Formally known as botrytis cinerea, or noble rot, it is a parasitic fungus or mold that affects grapes. In some climates, the grapes develop gray rot and spoil, while in other areas, the action of the botrytis produces the greatest sweet, late harvest wines of the world. Called "pourriture noble" (noble rot) in France and "Edelfaule" in Germany, botrytis must have the perfect weather conditions of high humidity followed by drying to develop properly.

The fungus first penetrates the skin of the fruit without breaking it or exposing the interior to harmful bacteria or air. Within a few days, the grape begins to wither and desiccate, thus concentrating the remaining juice. A fine, gray fuzz develops on the exterior of the grapes, while inside the grape, the juice becomes balanced as a result of the glycerin and sugars concentrating more quickly than the acid. Botrytis cinerea seems to bring forth exotic and tropical fruit flavors.

A clean botrytis infection demands a period of high humidity in which to grow and spread, followed by drying conditions to concentrate sugars and flavors. If the temperature rises too high, the fungus will be killed. Also, the delicate skins of the infected grapes could be broken by a rain, thus ruining the crop. At the end of this uncertain and difficult process, the juice that remains in the grape makes only a small amount of wine.