The Botanist and the Vintner: How Wine Was Saved for the World

by Christy Campbell

In the mid-1860s, grapevines in southeastern France inexplicably began to wither and die. Jules-Émile Planchon, a botanist from Montpellier, was sent to investigate. He discovered that the vine roots were covered in microscopic yellow insects. What they were and where they had come from was a mystery. The infestation advanced with the relentlessness of an invading army and within a few years had spread across Europe, from Portugal to the Crimea. The wine industry was on the brink of disaster. The French government offered a prize of three hundred thousand gold francs for a remedy. Planchon believed he had the answer and set out to prove it.

Gripping and intoxicating, The Botanist and the Vintner brings to life one of the most significant, though little-known, events in the history of wine.

Genres: Wine, History, Nonfiction, Food, Food and Wine

344 pages, Paperback

First published March 25, 2005

Reviews

[Nick Milinazzo · Rating 3 out of 5]

In 1860s France, grape vines in the southeastern part of the country began to die for unknown reasons. After a botanist was sent to investigate, he found that microscopic yellow insects coated the vines. The insect, eventually dubbed phylloxera vastartrix, was found to be the cause. But how to remedy the problem? This book describes the decades-long battle that ensued in vineyards, greenhouses, and laboratories alike. Those involved in the world of wine are undoubtedly aware of the phylloxera scourge, but few may be familiar with the complete story, and its long-lasting impacts (politically, economically, societally) -- not just in France but the world over. To this day there is no real "cure" for the pests. The method discovered back then is the only viable option: to graft the native vines with American-resistant rootstock. The book itself is exhaustive in its details and science, which admittedly might turn some readers off (including those without a minor understanding of French). But I would recommend it to any oenophile that wants a deeper understanding of the aphid and how it nearly devastated the entire wine industry.
3.5 stars

[Tommy Pace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved it.

Of course this book is a very specific subject for a certain type of person. If you really want to enjoy this book, you've got to be a wine DORK, not just a wine drinker, not just a wine lover.

I'll admit that some chapters are not the fastest or most enthralling reads but I will tell you that this captures the History of the spread of Phylloxera across France. It talks about the mysterious symptoms, the dying vines, the confusion over how the louse lived. From initial denial of the aphid's existence, it talks about how the 'problem' was 'fixed.'

Although it seems like a fairly open and shut story, it is way more complex due to the complicated research because of lack of familiarity with phylloxera. It is a struggle for France (and the rest of Europe) because of the difference in expert opinions, the government and the winegrowers. It is a story of the darkest hour in European winemaking and how, thankfully, we're still drinking wine from Vitis Vinifera today.

[Jim Laughren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every wine aficionado knows the broad-brush story of phylloxera: microscopic louse, kills grapevines, travels on American vines to Europe in mid-nineteenth century, nearly destroys French, Italian and Spanish wine industries, after much angst and many false starts a solution of grafting European vinifera vines onto phylloxera-resistant American rootstock is found, hence to this day most fine wine in the world comes from such grafted vines. All well and good. What Campbell does is flesh out this piece of history, give it depth and specifics. We're able to follow the arduous journey of scientists both French and American as they researched, observed,and theorized in a quest to save the world's most important wine regions.

I found the truly interesting part of this story to be the social and economic impact of phylloxera. Thousands of vineyard workers lost their means of income, other thousands of small vineyard owners lost their land. Phylloxera was invading France and decimating its vineyards while the government was focused on the Franco-Prussian war, unable to give its all to fighting a louse at the same time. Necessity being the mother of invention, hundreds of crazy and not so crazy approaches to defeating this "other" invader were conceived of, everything from dousing the vines with urine to burying toads in the soil to pumping huge volumes of chemicals into the ground. Before it was all over, more than two-thirds of Europe's grapevines were dead. This was a serious threat to the very culture of wine. Though Campbell's writing is somewhat dense and clunky in telling the story, we are also exposed to the major--and minor--human players in this drama and follow their travels and travails. In the end, more than a single botanist or a single vintner were involved in solving the mystery, which in fact, had no ah-ha! moment but was rather a slowly developing end-around to the problem. Though the book could have benefited from a bit more developmental editing, it is a story every wine lover, every scientist and every cultural geographer will benefit from reading.

[Barry Hammond · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing read tracing the rise of phylloxera, a microscopic type of aphid which began infesting the vineyards of France in the 1860's and became a world-wide phenomena that threatened all production of wine. Years long debates began on how to conquer the pest: insecticides, breeding, or grafting resistant roots onto infected plants and how the international controversy has continued in different forms right up to the present day. A story of biology, botany, entomology, chemistry, genetics, and politics in both the theoretical and real world with the feel of a thriller. - BH.

[Sapna Kumar · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting, not sure I recommend anyone other than a viticulturist read it though! I managed to finish it. And am now terrified of aphids!

[M · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting book, although it contains quite a bit of detail. Took awhile to plow through it. Passing it on to my brother, who loves wine, and has lived in France for 20+ years!!

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the very first predictive uses of evolutionary biology was in saving the European grape vines from the introduced aphid, Phylloxera, in the 1870s. Understanding how the N American vines had coevolved with the pest to become resistant to the ubiquitous pest was, for many scientists, their first application of the theory of evolution.
The European plants were defenseless to the pest and had no time to adapt. This rapid death of the plant was complicating the research on the aphid because of how rapidly its population was evolving in the new habitat. In the new niche, in Europe’s field of inbred Vitus vinifera cultivars, the aphid altered aspects of its life cycle, making it difficult to compare with the parent population in N. America. The aphid killed the plants so rapidly it was being selected for a new set of traits and behaviors.

Bringing rooted American vines to Europe eventually brought the insect. European vines had evolved no resistance to the insect so entire cloned fields succumbed. Scientists from America and France worked together to understand the complex aphid life cycle, with four forms, before the entire wine industry collapsed. Early understanding of how the interlocking selective pressures of coevolving ecologies was limited but the researchers persisted in seeking to understand the aphids life cycle to find a vulnerable point to attack a ground dwelling insect that could spread by flight and hide in leaf galls.

This plaque of aphids encouraged the French scientist to seek the any predator that could aid in fighting the aphid but a faster response was also needed. Eventually a resistant rootstock was used to graft the European grape vines, but today the fight continues with active attempts to evolve a hybrid grape species between the N. American and European vines. This cross is to generate a hybrid vine that inherits the American species resistance to phylloxera but produce a wine that does not taste like the American grape.

[Melissa McCauley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly: I Was Bored

I love wine, and I have a geeky love of science, so this book seemed perfect for me. When I found myself gritting my teeth at the thought of finishing it (about 3/4 through) – I just skipped to the last chapter to be done with it.

This tale of vineyard woe follows the worldwide incursion of the maddeningly mysterious Phylloxera vavtatrix mite (try saying that five times fast). Campbell’s blow-by-blow account of the ecological disaster is very well-written and is cleverly divided into sections named after the stages of death (On Death and Dying). The different methods employed to banish the mites read like a dossier for Homer Simpson, however, it is about as interesting as a book about insects can be to a layperson (not very much).

I think this subject matter is very interesting, but I would have been satisfied with a Mental Floss article.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

So far, this is an engaging history of phylloxera and its march across France. It's a bit frustrating to have come half-way through the book with only little hints and glimpses of a possible bright future, but that suits the nature of the subject.

ETA: Having finished the book, it remained engaging and entertaining. Highly recommended to anyone who wants some light non-fiction to read and doesn't mind a bit of a vocabulary lesson.

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book for people who want to know more about the behind the scenes of the wine world. This particular topic: the phyloxera virus of the late 1800s. Nearly all greta French wines were wiped out by, not only this wine louse, but by the scientist and governments inability to decide on proper measures to cure the affliction. I found it to be very interesting read.

[David Harley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book very interesting and educational. It introduced a historical aspect of grape growing and wine production that I wasn't very familiar with. It also helped demonstrate one of the potential dangers of genetically modified organisms. All in all, a great read if you are interested in the subject matter.

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Being a sommelier, with degrees in both biology and history, I thought this book would be tailor-made for my enjoyment. And in some ways it was. But I can't say I found it riveting. Too much repitition, too much skipping around in time and place. It could have been better organized, but it was flawless in its research, and by far the most comprehensive treatment of the subject I've seen.

[Larry Meyer]

I chose this book for my first report to the men's book club @ Trinity Episcopal in the town of Washington.

Entertaining … well researched … but Christy Campbell didn't leave a very clear trail of crumbs. I had to go into the index and refresh my memory to even recognize the vintner (hard) and the botanist (easier).

Good research for me as I acquire knowledge of life in the vineyards.

[Linda Carroll-Bradd · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book provided information in a chronological way that provided information regarding a devastation that almost ending the wine industry. I was impressed with the details on correspondence and names which reveals the author did exhaustive research.

[Francine Apollo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was informative and interesting. It was, however, very detailed. I find history exciting and enjoyable but the great detail may put off some readers. I don't drink a lot of wine but I do drink some, especially the bubbly sort and I am glad that wine was saved.

Recommended.

[Kendra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really, really interesting.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really interesting (of course Brian already knows all about it), but a bit too scientific at times.

[Mohoshe]

just started and so far so good.

[Carmen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book taught me a lot about how grapes are grown!

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Good history of wine.