How did grape thieves save the wine industry?

By Chelsie Vandaveer

March 19, 2002

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In the 1800s, France had been through two centuries of political upheaval. In the middle of the century, the vineyards suffered the devastation of an imported aphid, phylloxera (Daktulosphaira vitifoliae) and downy mildew (Plasmopara viticola) from the U.S. The insect and fungus wiped out millions of acres of grapevines. Then the Franco-Prussian War hit in 1870.

The few vineyards left suffered from pillaging. The problem was people who had no standing in the society—the hungry and homeless. Losses of a fraction of a crop could determine whether a grower and his family would join the ranks of the disenfranchised.

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Someone discovered that copper sulfate, hydrated lime, and water sprayed on grape vines would deter theft. Handling the freshly-treated grapes caused skin itching; not washed off, chemical burns. But a thief who ate these grapes suffered from gastritis, diarrhea, bloody stools, and anemia. It irritated the lining of the mouth and discolored the tongue and gums. The discoloration was a tip-off to the police.

In 1876, Pierre Marie Alexis Millardet became professor of botany at the University of Bordeaux. Millardet determined that root stock from America was resistant to phylloxera, but the vines did not produce grapes acceptable for fine wines. He grafted the French vines onto American root stocks and brought the insect plague under control. But the fungus was still rampant.

In October 1882, he turned to the downy mildew problem and noticed an interesting fact. Growers who treated vines with the copper sulfate/lime mix to deter theft had fewer problems with the fungus. Millardet spent the next three years experimenting with the mixture and testing it on vines. He published his findings in the Journal d'Agriculture Pratique.

Millardet's Bordeaux mixture became the first widely used fungicide. More importantly, Millardet launched the idea that chemistry could help solve agricultural problems.

Virtourist has posted a photograph of the Cahateau vineyards in Bordeaux. To view the vineyard, click on the link:

http://www.virtourist.com/europe/bordeaux/999.htm

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Suggested Reading:

How did American clones cause a French disaster? Renfield's Garden - March 20, 2002
What is a California sister? Renfield's Garden - February 18, 2004
What is the wine palm? What's in a Name? - October 4, 2002
What is a toddy? What's in a Name? - January 2, 2004
What is one of nature's most unique items? Plants that Changed History - December 30, 2003

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