Archive for the ‘Chef Tales’ Category

FROM THE VINEYARD

By Chef Felix Piedra

Dear Friends –

Today I want to talk to you about something that changed the course of history in the world of winemaking. I just think it is very odd that a lot of wine consumers and wine lovers are not aware of it. I am talking about the Phylloxera. But before we get into this matter, I just want to very briefly talk about the grape vine so we get a better understanding of the subject. There are a few different types of Vitis (grape vines) but I would say that almost all the wine grape varieties come from the Vitis Vinifera, the European grapevine native to the Mediterranean and Central Asia. The fruit of other types of vines native to the Americas is used for jams, juices etc… So now that we understand this a little better let’s get into today’s subject.

Phylloxera is an insect native to the eastern United States that led to a serious wine crisis that started around 1863 destroying most of the vineyards for wine grapes in Europe. The Phylloxera plague is considered the most comprehensive, devastating and decisive in the history of world viticulture. And no other event, pest or disease, spread so quickly and urged the change of grape production lines of our planet as did the arrival of this insect to Europe from North America in the late nineteenth century. The introduction of Phylloxera in Europe resulted from the importation of American vines directly from the United States or through the European nurserymen who received them from across the Atlantic. To this contributed the intention of some growers to try new species and varieties of Vitis, resistant to powdery mildew, a disease caused by a fungus, which had invaded America from European vineyards in the mid-nineteenth century. It took over 30 years to overcome the Phylloxera plague and curiously, the solution to the problem also came from America. Scientists realized that Vitis Vinifera were susceptible to Phylloxera( the insect only attacks the roots of the vine)  and the American vines were much more resistant. So they started grafting a Vitis Vinifera (whether it was Cabernet, Merlot, Sangiovese ,Montepulciano, Tempranillo or any other wine grape varietal  ) onto the roots of a resistant Vitis Aestivalis or other American native species and it worked ! So everything across Europe had to be replanted and still this is the preferred method today, because the rootstock does not interfere with the development of the wine grapes, and it furthermore allows the customization of the rootstock to soil and weather conditions, as well as desired vigor. Most of the wine vines around the world today are grafts of this type. Like I mentioned earlier I think any wine lover should be aware of this event that changed the way wine vines are grown today . I hoped you enjoyed it

Thank you so much

 Chef Felix 

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