The Wrath of Grapes

In the middle of the 19^th century, an aphid-born disease – phylloxera, an ailment that attacks grapevines – was somehow carried from North America to the European continent. The results, particularly in wine-crazy France, were devastating. “Over 40% of French grape vines and vineyards were devastated over a 15-year period, from the late 1850s to the mid 1870s. The French economy was badly hit by the blight; many businesses were lost, and wages in the wine industry were cut to less than half. There was also a noticeable trend of migration to, among other places, Algiers and America. The production of cheap raisins and sugar wines caused problems for the domestic industry that threatened to persist even after the blight itself. The damage to the French economy, is estimated to have been slightly over 10 billion Francs.^” Wikipedia.

That the blight is said to have emanated from America is bad enough, but what too many French vintners did to revitalize their grapes was equally unacceptable to many French traditionalists. “Ultimately, the French realized that the problem was aphids, and that these aphids had colonized Europe, making it impossible to eradicate them. In response, vineyards started grafting traditionally European grapes onto North American [disease-resistant] rootstock in France and other nations affected by the blight. In France, this process was known as ‘reconstitution,’ and it was not without controversy, as some people felt that it compromised the integrity of French vineyards and wines.

“Today, so-called ‘pre-phylloxera’ vintages made before the French Wine Blight fetch a high price when they come up for sale. Some wine fans claim that the French Wine Blight fundamentally changed the nature of French wines and winemaking, and that pre-phylloxera vintages are noticeably different from wines produced at reconstituted vineyards. Given the numerous factors which can influence the taste of wine, especially after hundreds of years of cellaring, it is hard to determine whether or not these claims hold water.” WiseGeek.com. So many of those French super-vintages have American relatives! Yum… this is getting gooder and gooder.

France spread winemaking to its colonies and possessions, and local vintners were quick to experiment with wines and subspecies of grapes far from continental Europe. Shiraz grew in Iran (and now Australia has a particularly fondness for that varietal), and anyone who has traveled to upstate New York, all over California (from Napa, the Central Valley, Paso Robles, Santa Barbara, etc.), Washington, Oregon… and oh-so-many-more knows that American wines are increasingly among the best in the world, many born of French or Italian stock. But French always knew that they were better than us….  until….

“U.S. founding father Thomas Jefferson was enamored with French wines and the French held dominance over world wine traffic until well after World War II. Then came the 1976 ‘Judgment of Paris,’ when, to French astonishment, California won a major blind taste test over French wines. To this day, that event is considered the ‘tasting that changed the wine world.’… That never sat well with the French, and since then wine relations have often had an edge to them.” Huffington Post, September 24^th.

Hmmm… and so now, we want to export our fine wines to Europe using names like “Chateau” and “Clos” suggesting a castle-like environment representing many, many years of vinicultural excellence, craftsmanship nonpareil, if you will. But the French don’t like that notion, noting that the United States does not have the centuries of wine-experience to justify such epithets and that such products simply should be banned from the European Union.

Trust me, this is big business. “For the U.S., the benefits of tapping the European market are clear. Even though it is declining, the 27-nation European Union still accounts for 57 percent of the global wine consumption… Last year, 34 percent of U.S. wine exports by value went to the EU, accounting for $478 million. And the industry is counting on removing trade barriers worldwide to push exports even more…In comparison, the EU said its exports to the United States stood at (EURO)2.2 billion ($2.86 billion) last year, boosted by many of the top-edge chateau and clos vintages that have come to define the continent's best wines. The global turnover of France's Bordeaux wines stood at (EURO) 4.2 billion and 55,000 jobs while the Burgundy region added (EURO)1 billion and 20,000 jobs last year.” Huffington Post.

“‘What is at stake is the respect for tradition and quality,’ Laurent Gapenne of Chateau de Laville and president of the Federation des Grand Vins de Bordeaux told the Associated Press… So when the European Commission decided to act on a U.S. request to regain permission to export ‘chateau’ and ‘clos’-labeled wines to Europe – including France – the anger was palpable… ‘The European Commission is bartering our heritage and our economic clout at the expense of globalization,’ said Gapenne.” Huffington Post. The decision from the commission is imminent.

To the French, I suggest, “quit yer’ winin’!” and let the consumers decide. They don’t need snobby experts to tell them what they should like. Or perhaps they will discover that fine wines go very well with Freedom Fries! Zut alors! If yer wines are so damned good, they shouldn’t fear a little competition from those uncultured Americans, right?! Like pricey vintages with staggering taste? Drop a pile of cash and pick up a bottle or two of California Harlan Estate or a Screaming Eagle… or use the money for down payment on a nice car!

I’m Peter Dekom, and I love great Bordeaux… or a phenomenal American bottle, of which there are so many from which to choose.