Roots Under Siege: The Battle Against Phylloxera in European Vineyards

In the intricate tapestry of viticulture, one tiny intruder sent shockwaves through vineyards around the world, leaving a legacy etched in the very roots of winemaking. Enter phylloxera, the uninvited guest that forever altered the landscape of the wine industry.

What is phylloxera?
So, what is phylloxera? It's a small aphid-like pest that loves to eat grapevine roots, making it a formidable adversary for wineries across the world. The aphid spreads via workers' boots, or naturally across vineyards. It has two cycles - one that is above the ground, where the eggs hatch, and the second in the roots themselves.

What's the story?
At the end of the 19th Century, phylloxera had spread at an alarming rate, destroying many of the vineyards across Europe. Many of the vines had to be burnt to try and stop the spread. This is also due to the way in which the vineyards were managed - the vines were much closer together than the typical spacious rows of vines you see today. This is because new vines were created by pushing shoots from an older vine back into the earth. This provided a perfect setting for phylloxera to spread. By the beginning of the 20th Century, however, the pest was out of control - over 40% of all vines in France were unusable, changing the course of many winemakers' lives.

Such was the devastation that the French government offered 320,000 francs for anybody who was able to find a solution.

Phylloxera's assault was not merely an inconvenience; it was a crisis that threatened the very foundation of winemaking. Vineyards faced decimation, and winemakers had to adapt or risk losing centuries-old traditions. The solution, though not a cure, was discovered to prevent the aphid from attacking the roots - grafting. Vitis vinifera, which is the European vine upon which all other varietals are grown, was grafted onto an American rootstock, which was resistant to the pest.

The solution? Grafting
Grafting is a technique to attach two separate plants; they are joined together and grown as an individual vine. This means the scion - which is the part of the plant above the root - can be changed while the rootstock remains the same and is resistant to phylloxera. These American rootstocks did bring their own problems - they brought over downy mildew, which is a fungus that affects the leaves of the vine. However, this is curable with copper sulphate sprays and much more manageable than phylloxera.

The ones that got away...
The only European grape varieties that are less susceptible to phylloxera are the Assyritko grape, growing in Santorini. Some regions in Europe were so affected, however, that they no longer grow wine - Mallorca, for example, now grows almonds instead of vines.

There are parcels across the world that were in existence before the global phylloxera infestation - wines of Chile have remained pest-free. The Mosel region in Germany, with its slate soil, is also without the pest, as it cannot survive in that specific soil type. Etna and Jumilla are also regions where they still use ungrafted vines.

A special champagne
Bollinger has a special wine called Vieilles Vignes Francaises (this translates to Old French Vines). The champagne is made from Pinot Noir vines that were enclosed in two separate "Clos" or a walled vineyard. While you'll hear this phrase a lot in Burgundy, in Champagne, there are only 15 Clos remaining. Clos are usually chosen for their uniqueness to create a specific wine - whether they have an unusual soil composition or great positioning towards the sun. For this reason, it is believed they remained resistant to the pest. The vines still exist today; they are ungrafted vines, just as they would have been before the infestation across Europe. In this vineyard, the traditional practices of the 19th century are continued, such as using horses to plough the fields; they are hand-pruned and harvested.

Grafting onto resistant rootstocks became a key technique, allowing vineyards to revive and flourish once again. Almost every vine you see in France and across Europe will now have been grafted onto an American vine to guarantee their survival. And that prize from the French government for anyone who could find a cure? It was never awarded to the people who discovered how to graft European vibes to the resistant ones, with the government claiming that this was not a cure, as the phylloxera had not been destroyed.

Phylloxera, once a symbol of destruction, inadvertently paved the way for innovation, resilience, and the evolution of winemaking.