50 Years That Changed Wine: The Birth of Modern Viticulture

This show was published Friday, January 16, 2026

Overview

Long before Bordeaux ever made wine, before humans had even split from chimpanzees, the world’s grapevines divided in two. Some ten to twenty million years ago, as the continents drifted apart, American vines evolved separately from Europe’s Vitis vinifera.

Cut off for millions of years, they faced very different challenges: new insects, fungi and moulds. Over time, the American species developed thick, bitter skins and tough, resistant roots - natural armour against pests like phylloxera and mildew. Meanwhile, Europe’s vines, sheltered from those threats, became delicate and refined - perfect for wine, but defenceless.

Then, in the mid-1800s, the two families met again. And that reunion changed everything.

Chris takes us back to the 19th century, when a series of devastating vine diseases transformed the wine world forever.

We begin in the 1850s with the arrival of powdery mildew, a fungal disease that swept through European vineyards. Known at the time as “le blanc” or “the white plague”, it coated vines in a pale dust and threatened harvests across the continent. The breakthrough came when growers discovered that sulphur could be used to control it - one of the first major successes in modern vineyard disease management.

Just a decade later, however, a far more destructive enemy appeared: phylloxera. This tiny yellow louse, which attacks vine roots, arrived in Europe from North America in the 1860s and proved unstoppable. Vineyards collapsed across France and beyond. The solution was radical but effective — European grape varieties were grafted onto American rootstocks, which were naturally resistant to the pest. Between the 1870s and 1890s, almost every vineyard in Europe had to be replanted.

Before growers could catch their breath, another threat emerged. In 1878, downy mildew began spreading through vineyards. By 1895, scientists had developed the Bordeaux mixture (a blend of copper sulphate and lime), which finally brought the disease under control.

These crises didn’t just save vines - they shaped wine styles too. The varieties that proved most resilient, particularly Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, went on to dominate Bordeaux vineyards, influencing the blends and wines we enjoy today.

A dramatic chapter in wine history, and a reminder that today’s vineyards are built on survival, science, and innovation. 🍷

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The music used for the UK Wine Show is Griffes de Jingle 1 by Marcel de la Jartèle and Silence by Etoile Noire.