How Texas Saved the French Wine Industry (Ungrateful Cheese Eating Surrender Monkey FLASHBACK)

wineskinny.com ^ | June 1999

[hispanarepublicana]

How Texas Saved the French Wine Industry
june/july 1999

In 1880, the vineyards of France were on the verge of destruction, courtesy of the phylloxera root louse. This grapevine plague was spread throughout France, and in the Charante Region (Cognac) in particular. With their very economy at risk, France selected French scientist Pierre Viala to find a cure for the plague. Viala's search lead him to Denison, Texas and scientist Thomas Volney Munson. Seeking a solution, Viala and Munson studied the native grapes of Texas. Because the soils of the Charante and Denison are very similar, and Munson knew the Texas rootstocks were resistant to phylloxera, Munson suggested that the only way to save the French vineyards was to graft the Texas rootstocks with the French vines. Viala agreed and thousands of bundles of Texas rootstocks were shipped to France to be grafted with the French vineyards. The grafting continues to this day.

France awarded Munson the Chevalier du Merite Agricule, the highest award that could be given to a foreign civilian. In 1888, Munson was inducted into the Legion of Honor and, to commemorate the award, a Centennial Celebration was held in Cognac and Denison 100 years later.

Thanks to Thomas Volney Munson, there's a taste of Texas in every glass of French wine. To learn more about this remarkable man, visit the website for The T.V. Munson Memorial Vineyard & Viticulture ~ Enology Center by clicking here: http://www.texoma.com/personal/twining/viticult/muncen.htm

[hispanarepublicana]

I think it's time for a Boston "Tea" Party in the Gulf of Mexico.

[RonF]

Sorry, but if I'm going to dump French wines I've already paid good money for, I'm going to strain it through my kidneys first.

[hispanarepublicana]

I'm going to dump French wines I've already paid good money for, I'm going to strain it through my kidneys first.

Ebay the French stuff and buy good domestic or Spanish wine instead.

[Weimdog]

"Viala agreed and thousands of bundles of Texas rootstocks were shipped to France to be grafted with the French vineyards. The grafting continues to this day."

Is Texas still exporting rootstocks to France?

If so, what better way to bring the French to their knees than to stop the export of Texas rootstocks and letting the ol' root virus desimate their vines.

Just a thought...

[hispanarepublicana]

Is Texas still exporting rootstocks to France?

I'm not sure, but I kind of doubt it. France has become rather snooty about importing U.S. ag products of late. Their non-tariff trade barriers on U.S. ag products make their obstinance on Iraq look like nothing. In fact, earlier this month, the White House decided not to take a an obstruction case against the EU to the WTO that would have addressed the EU's "fear" of importing biotech ag products from the U.S.

[Servant of the Nine]

Is Texas still exporting rootstocks to France?

No, there is far more of the rootstock in France, or in Kalifornia, Chile, Argetina or Australia than there ever was in Texas.

Almost all of the worlds wine grapes are grown on grafted rootstocks.

SO9

[hispanarepublicana]

far more of the rootstock in France, or in Kalifornia, Chile, Argetina or Australia than there ever was in Texas.

We're in kind of a fix because we don't drink Kalifornia wines either due to Kalifornia's general snooty attitude about their wines compared with Texas and other domestic wines. Come to think of it----they behave much like the French!

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

Phylloxera
Although the 19th century is considered to be the "Golden Age" of wines in Bordeaux and Burgundy, it was not without tragedy for these regions. Around 1863 many of the French vines began to suffer from a mysterious root disease. It was soon discovered that this disease was the result of the Phylloxera aphid. Fumigation was attempted to destroy this pest, but it was too dangerous to the plants and workers to be a real solution.

Eventually it was found that Phylloxera was from America and that it attacked American vines as well. The roots of American vines were immune to the destructive power of Phylloxera. In an attempt to save their industry, European wine makers grafted their vines onto American roots, in order to make them less vulnerable to Phylloxera. Ironically, the region that may have been responsible for the mass destruction of vines in Europe, also saved it from complete ruin. Despite the eventual halt of Phylloxera, many vineyards had to be replanted and a replanting wave hit Europe in the later part of the 19th century.

[hispanarepublicana]

Phylloxera was from America and that it attacked American vines as well. The roots of American vines were immune to the destructive power of Phylloxera.

It CAME from here, but we were IMMUNE to it? This smells a little like a French cheese store to me....

[Servant of the Nine]

We're in kind of a fix because we don't drink Kalifornia wines either due to Kalifornia's general snooty attitude about their wines compared with Texas and other domestic wines. Come to think of it----they behave much like the French!

The Argentine and Chillean wines have been wonderful for years. They have just recently become commonly avain=lable.

So9

[hispanarepublicana]

France purchased couple of vine rootsticks from Texas

I would frankly be surprised if the French even offered to pay for them.

This is more about the French "saving" their pride and relevance than about oil interests, although they care more about their oil interests with a despot than about the oil interests of the world in a liberated Iraq.

[xm177e2]

It CAME from here, but we were IMMUNE to it?

Yeah, actually, that is how it works.

[JustAnAmerican]

Well I read, read and reread your post. And everytime I read it, I only got an anti-American pro-french translation out of it. So then I checked your join date, and sure enough you signed up today. Am I missing something in the translation? If not, then you need to head back to that cesspool of anti-Americanism known as france. Just another good reason to boycott french made goods.

Please note:french and france were intentionaly not capitalized.

[hispanarepublicana]

unstoppable US power.

I guess it's the same unstoppable power that pulled Europe's collective "tit out of the ringer" in WWII.

Imagine if an extrem-right white supremacy group takes power in the US...

Given the current bias in the media and the anti-American "feels warm and fuzzy so it sounds good" attitude that wafts from the general direction of Hollywood, the odds are better for an extreme-left-wing, Zimbabwe-style land-grabbing (disguised as wealth redistribution), gun-banning, slave reparation paying, border-opening, anti-white, takeover in this country. You're obviously a foreigner, or you would know this. And a troll.

[hispanarepublicana]

It is easy sitting there and being right, supported by an arsenal of a superpower

You're right, with a slight correction: "supported by an arsenal of TRUTH. However, as to our "arsenal", perhaps the E.U. would have a decent "arsenal" if they would prioritize differently (for example, the E.U. farm subsidy is $309 per acre compared with the U.S. $49 per acre.)

Then refusing all the surrender attempt via negotiations before Europe were in ruins.

I think this says it all, folks. A surrender and a negotiation are two very different things. It's time the French learned that.

Delaying the Normandy landing

You're COMPLAINING about the Normandy landing? This REALLY says it all.