Blog 38 How did America devastate the European wine industry?
In the Xplorador wine video, the 3 Wine Girls wanted to extend their apologies for something that happened way back in the late 1850’s. America caused an unintentional devastation to the wine industry in France and throughout Europe.
Phylloxera is a louse that lives on different parts of the vine. It will also live on the root system, and sucks the sap from the roots. Its waste is distributed back into the roots of the vine. This is poison, and causes the vine to die within a few years.
In the late 1850’s, vines from the United States were shipped to France with our insects on the vines. No one was aware that these insects were on a free voyage to a new land to spread their deadly blight onto the vines across Europe. They would devastate and destroy when placed in French soil.
Phylloxera had already run its course in America, and the vines in America eventually developed immunity to the insects. Many of the grape growers throughout Europe had to graft their vines onto the United States rootstock as a solution. This was a devastation that took years to get over.
The 3 Wine Girls would be more than happy to extend their apologies by being invited to any vineyard across the world. They would like to extend their deepest United States apology for the unintentional universal devastation caused by our lousy insects.
Tell me why you love wine? I want to hear from you! Give me your thoughts!
Bon Vin!
Veronica
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