There are two types of mildew that commonly affect vines – downy mildew and powdery mildew. Growers in France call downy mildew, mildiou and powdery mildew, oïdium.
Both are common fungal deseases and vines need to be treated to protect them. Non-organic growers will use a systemic product that is transported into the root system whereas organic growers are limited to using sulphur (which treats for powdery) and copper (which treats for downy).
These pictures show you what it looks like in the vineyard.
Contact sprays are just that – they provide a film that is sprayed onto the vines. The problem with contact sprays is that they are washed away when it rains. The more it rains the more growers keep having to reapply the treatments.
There’s a lot of downy mildew in certain parcels this year. A dense canopy with lots of leaves preventing aeration exacerbates the problem.
