The Great Wine Blight: The Microscopic Aphid That Destroyed Global Viticulture and the Desperate Graft That Saved It

In the late 19th century, the seemingly invincible empire of French winemaking brought to its knees. Vast, ancient vineyards inexplicably withered and died, leaving behind barren landscapes and bankrupt economies. The culprit wasn't a curse or a changing climate, but an invisible, pale yellow sap-sucking insect accidentally imported from America.

The Great Wine Blight chronicles the devastating history of the Phylloxera epidemic. It is a story of early globalized trade leading to unprecedent...