I always talk about the decimation of vineyards that followed after Phylloxera came to Europe’s vineyards in the late 19th century and I also talk about today’s problems in the vineyard, particularly about Esca, a fungal disease that is common.
Phylloxera, for those of you that can’t remember, is the disease that came over from the USA that wiped out two thirds of Europe’s vineyards. A tiny insect with many different life cycles, literally sucked the lifeblood out of vines and it was many years before the wine industry got itself back on its feet again.
This was done by grafting European vines onto American vines. The same genus but different species, American vines provided the resistance required and this system is still used today.
I read an article today written by Jamie Goode that shocked me a little and so I thought I would share it with you. In his article he explains that what we called ‘vine trunk diseases’ (diseases that affect the wood of the vine, sometimes with foliar symptoms) are very much on the increase.
According to his article (that you can read here) around 20% of vines in the Loire are affected (more than the French average of 13%). That’s a lot of poorly vines.
Sauvignon Blanc is apparently very susceptible so there are quite a lot of studies being conducted in the Centre Loire region at the moment.
Various factors play a part in the spread of these diseases, bigger pruning wounds, pruning when it’s raining, the banning of previously used chemicals at the beginning of the century.
Some call vine trunk diseases ‘today’s Phylloxera’.
