The Critical Issue

As the name suggests, the blight was severe and occurred in mid-19th Century France, wrecking the country’s wine industry and economy. Contrary to its moniker, however, the affliction was not limited just to France—it spread throughout much of Europe, parts of Africa, New Zealand, Australia, and even California. In any case, its origins may be traced back to North America, from whence came the pest Daktulosphaira vitifoliae (commonly known as the grape phylloxera, or simply, phylloxera.) It is unknown exactly how or when the insect arrived from the continent, and is thus still a matter of debate amongst historians. With that said, the advent of steamships likely played a significant part—shorter journeys meant a higher likelihood of organisms, wanted or unwanted, surviving. It is not unlikely that the phylloxera was accidentally brought along with some North American grape varieties to England, which was likely the first country to be hit by the blight. In 1863, however, it arrived in France, and from there spread quickly. From 1875 to 1889 alone, France’s wine production fell from 84.5 million hectoliters to 23.4 million hectoliters [2.] Some even estimate that approximately nine-tenths of European vineyards were destroyed, losing these countries billions in revenue.

Above: A simplified diagram showing the grafting of a grapevine to a different rootstock. Such a process is practically required when growing non-North American grape varieties now.

It was not until the late 1860s to early 1870s that a consensus was reached over the phylloxera being the cause—specifically, the pest would suck sap from the roots of grapes, leaving a toxin in the process that prevented the roots from naturally healing. Eventually, the roots die, and so does the vine. Despite hundreds of attempts at a cure for phylloxera infestation, none was ever found—instead, a solution of sorts was discovered. Since the bug came from North America, North American grape varieties were resistant to its toxins. Thus, in the early 1890s, French and other winemakers across the globe began to graft North American grape roots onto European grape vines [3.] This process, thankfully, does not alter the taste of the grapes themselves. Yet, to this day, there is no cure for phylloxera, and nearly all European grape varieties feature North American roots. Even then, the blight is not totally in the rearview mirror. In 1980s California, a weaker variety of grape rootstock was attacked by the pest, seemingly having overcome the variety’s resistance over many decades. This infestation ended up costing the state’s economy about $1 billion in damage and lost revenue [4.] Luckily, this rootstock was never used in Europe, for the reason that it was weak to begin with. Still, nature is likely to catch up eventually, and vintners will be forced to adapt once more. For these reasons, the memories of the Great French Wine Blight must never fade.