Charles Valentine Riley (1843–1895) confirmed phylloxera’s identity, shipped resistant American rootstock to France from 1870, and was made a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour.
Jules-Émile Planchon identified and named phylloxera in 1868 — a botanist who had spent his career naming plants, including the kiwifruit, before he was asked why France’s vines were dying.
Chinese farm workers pruning a California vineyard, c.1900. A largely Chinese labour force planted and built Northern California’s wine country. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.By the This Day in Wine History Editorial Team✓ Researched, fact-checked & […]
By the This Day in Wine History Editorial Team • ✓ Researched, fact-checked, and cross-referenced against primary sources. Bordeaux wine is the benchmark the rest of the world measures itself against — the largest […]
By the This Day in Wine History Editorial Team · ✓ Researched, fact-checked & verified · July 2026 · 9 min read Africa is often treated as a footnote in wine. It should not […]
By the This Day in Wine History Editorial Team · ✓ Researched, fact-checked & verified · Updated July 2026 · 11 min read Between 1863 and the end of the century, an aphid the […]
Buena Vista, founded in 1857 — Sonoma’s oldest commercial winery, and a strong claimant to be the true cradle of California wine. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.By the This Day in Wine History Editorial Team✓ Researched, […]
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