During the second half of the 19th century Phylloxera ravaged vineyards throughout Europe and around the world destroying millions of hectares, in many places leaving landowners and families bankrupt and destitute.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 What caused it and what was the solution?<\/p>\n
Phylloxera is a tiny louse or minuscule insect that eats the roots of grapes, which weakens the plant and makes it susceptible to other diseases. It came to Europe in vines imported from the US.\u00a0 The first cases were reported in the Rhone in southern France in 1864, at the time farmers did not know why their vineyards were turning brown and dying.\u00a0 It was thought that the problem could have been a water borne disease or something in the soil.<\/p>\n
The louse spread very quickly and the effects were indiscriminate, vineyards were ripped up and their vines burned to try stop the spread of this problem.\u00a0 France lost up to 70% of their vineyards, most of which were eventually replanted.<\/p>\n
In 1878 the first case of Phylloxera in Spain was recorded in Malaga and a year later in Catalonia. It went on to destroy vineyards from Rioja to the Douro.\u00a0 Dramatic action was taken to stop the spread of the louse.\u00a0 This would involved local authorities ordering that an area to be totally cleared with all vines burnt.\u00a0 Often this would meet with local resistance as peoples livelihoods were destroyed.<\/p>\n
The shortage of wine in northern Europe proved to be a boom for vineyards in the Levante region, where Phylloxera did not arrive until 1905.\u00a0 Exports of wine became one of most important commodities to be shipped through from the port of Valencia.\u00a0 When it did eventually take hold in the region of Valencia, the effects were as devastating as in other regions.\u00a0 In fact instead of replanting vineyards that had been destroyed, many farmers decided to plant oranges, which saw a huge increase in the number of hectares with orange trees.<\/p>\n