The French Connection

Did you know that there is a physical connection between French vines and American vines? 

Way back in the twelfth century wine making began to improve greatly in central France thanks to work done by monks in various (and somewhat competing) monasteries. The quality of the wines produced by the monasteries was seen as a reflection of their devotion. The better the wine, the more favor the respective monastery curried with the Pope and with the King.  

Fast-forward about 700 years and France is producing the best fine wines in the world. In 1864, Louis Pasteur discovered that yeast was the key to fermentation, which gave winemakers more control over production.  Now French wine production was about to explode!

Well, not so fast...  

Right around the same time a sneaky little pest was getting ready to create The Great French Wine Blight.  A species of aphid, Phylloxera Vastatrix, likely imported accidently from America, would nearly eradicate French wine rootstock across the country, and throughout much of the Old World. 

Many solutions such as burning, prayer and a variety of home-brewed concoctions were tried, but didn't work.  Eventually, French wine authorities decided to graft their vines onto American rootstock, which was resistant to the aphid.  Even today a great many of the vines grown in France are descendents of these nineteenth century grafts.  

For a more detailed version of this story, check out Kelli White's great article.