There is no firm evidence that botrytized wines were recognized in antiquity, although Olney points out that a particularly fine Ancient Greek wine produced on Chios (see chian) in the 5th century bc is described as saprian by athenaeus, and that the literal translation of this may be ‘rotten, putrid’. Noble rot is much more likely to occur in more humid climates than in the mediterranean climate of the Aegean Islands, however, and the extremely unpleasant appearance of grapes infected by noble rot, and the difficulty with which they ferment, must have deterred many early winemakers.
