Fungus-resistant grape varieties (FRGVs) offer considerable ecological and economic benefits through reduced fungicide use, yet their cultivation remains limited. Due to the unfamiliarity of these varieties, marketing them is challenging. This study investigates the pricing and presence of FRGVs in the German high-priced wine segment. The aim is to uncover differences in the value-giving attributes of wines from FRGVs and conventional varieties. A hedonic price model was applied to multiyear (2016–2024) data from the renowned German wine guide “Der Eichelmann” using both OLS and quantile regression (n ≈ 73,800). Our results show that FRGVs are currently only marginally represented in the wine guide. Of the 36 FRGVs authorized in Germany, wines made from only 5 of those varieties appear in noteworthy quantities. FRGVs achieve, ceteris paribus, implicit price premiums compared to conventional varieties. However, as FRGVs are predominantly marketed by wineries with lower reputations and tend to receive lower expert ratings, their average price is below that of conventional varieties. The findings underscore the need for targeted marketing strategies that effectively communicate the sustainability benefits of FRGVs, strengthen credibility through reputable producers, and concentrate on “flagship varieties” to facilitate market penetration.

RNA interference (RNAi) is a cellular defense mechanism that uses double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) as a sequence-specific trigger to guide the degradation of homologous single-stranded RNAs. RNAi is a multistep process involving several proteins and at least one type of RNA intermediate, a population of small 21–25 nt RNAs (called siRNAs) that are initially derived from cleavage of the dsRNA trigger. Genetic screens in Caenorhabditis elegans have identified numerous mutations that cause partial or complete loss of RNAi. In this work, we analyzed cleavage of injected dsRNA to produce the initial siRNA population in animals mutant for rde-1 and rde-4, two genes that are essential for RNAi but that are not required for organismal viability or fertility. Our results suggest distinct roles for RDE-1 and RDE-4 in the interference process. Although null mutants lacking rde-1 show no phenotypic response to dsRNA, the amount of siRNAs generated from an injected dsRNA trigger was comparable to that of wild-type. By contrast, mutations in rde-4 substantially reduced the population of siRNAs derived from an injected dsRNA trigger. Injection of chemically synthesized 24- or 25-nt siRNAs could circumvent RNAi resistance in rde-4 mutants, whereas no bypass was observed in rde-1 mutants. These results support a model in which RDE-4 is involved before or during production of siRNAs, whereas RDE-1 acts after the siRNAs have been formed.