Wine-growers across the globe are familiar with the great wine plague, the Phylloxera vastatrix, a pest that attacked the roots of vines during the middle of the nineteenth century. Phylloxeras are small, pale yellow sap-sucking insects that feed on the roots of the grapevines. These insects cause the deformations of wines, as well as, cutting off of nutrients and water in the plant.
The Phylloxera vastatrix was first reported in southern Rhone region of France in 1863. It is though to have originated from the North American vinestock imported to Europe. During that time, there was a 84.5 million hectoliters decline in the total wine produced. The expanse of the destruction is so great that it is estimated that around two-thirds and nine-tenths of all the European vineyards were destroyed.
Various researches were conducted to address the problem. It was discovered that aphis do not attack vines grafted on an American rootstock. The only defense against this destructive aphis is through the flooding of the vineyard. These insects do not like sandy soils, thus it was observed that vineyards located in sandy areas continue with their rootstock.
The use of resistant rootstock was developed by Charles Valentine Riley alongside J.E. Planchon with T.V. Munson. This involves the grafting of the Vitis vinifera scion into the roots of a resistant Vitis labrusca species. There is a subtle difference between a wine that is grafted or ungrafted. Grapes from an ungrafted vine produces juice, thus the wine produced is fuller and softer, featuring more variation of taste and bouquet.
For more information about wines, explore http://vino.com.
