Phylloxera Part 4

Phylloxera Part 4

Welcome to Vine to Wine this is your host Linda Moran. This week we have been learning what phylloxera is and what it has to do with wine and today we will conclude our series.

Over the past few days we have learned phylloxera is a root louse that nearly destroyed the European wine industry in the late 1800’s and that crossbreeding hybrids in an attempt to solve the problem was not working because the resistant North American rootstock was exuding aromas that were not classically European, and this was unacceptable to the European community.   In the 1960’s to 1980’s here in the California wine growing region many growers planted their vineyards on a rootstock known as AxR1, which in Europe was already proven to be unsuccessful but was thought to be resistant by California growers. Initially phylloxera wasn’t feeding on the AxR1 stock, but eventually within only two decades the root louse mutated and eventually overcame the root stock and thus the replanting of California began. Even today unfortunately not all rootstock is the same and although seemingly under control now phylloxera has not entirely disappeared from Europe or California, and its evolution is monitored constantly. In most states there is a strict set of laws in place about the transport of agricultural products and this is very helpful in controlling the spread of many pests including phylloxera. So there you have it four days on unwrapping the mysteries of the term phylloxera and what it has to do with wine. Remember, send your wine questions to Linda at vine to wine dot net and thank you for joining me on today’s Vine to Wine.

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