CHILE: Botrytis fungus threatens Chilean wine quality
The appearance of botrytis fungus in southern central Chile's vineyards is likely to affect the quality of wines from this year's harvest, winemakers said this week. The fungus appeared after bouts of heavy rain last week were followed by hot, sunny weather. Vineyards were forced to destroy many grapes, while others grapes had to be harvested early to prevent infection. The rains came at the beginning of the harvest season.