Fenhexamid residues in grapes and wine

The behaviour of the fungicide, fenhexamid, on grapes, and during wine-maki ng, as well as its effect on the microflora of alcoholic and malolactic fer mentation has been studied. After treatment, the residue on grapes decrease d rapidly to one-third of the initial level after the first week, while it remained constant during the following two weeks. At harvest, in the wine o btained by vinification without skins, the fungicide residue decreased on a verage by 49%, while in the wine obtained by vinification with skins, the d ecrease was on average 62%. The presence of this fungicide on grapes and in the wine did not affect alcoholic and malolactic fermentation, nor did fer mentation cause any degradation of the fungicide. A simple and rapid gas ch romatographic method (GC-NPD) for the determination of fenhexamid residues in grapes, must and wine is described.