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However, these varieties did not grow in the original wine-growing regions (the Middle East and the Mediterranean), but were widespread – virtually unnoticed by humans – in parts of North America and Asia.
It wasn't until the beginning of the 19th century that the first American grapes were introduced to Europe by interested botanists. Along with the diverse plants newly discovered overseas, various pathogens were also introduced at the same time, such as the two fungal diseases powdery mildew and downy mildew, as well as phylloxera, which spread rapidly first in England and from there throughout Europe.
It was soon discovered that American grape varieties were resistant to these fungal diseases and also to phylloxera. Unfortunately, no quality wine could be produced from the "wild Americans."
Some winegrowers then began grafting traditional grape varieties onto American rootstocks. Although the phylloxera plague was defeated, the vines have since had to be treated with fungicides against powdery mildew five to ten times a year, depending on the weather.
Other winegrowers attempted to create new grape varieties through cross-breeding that combined the quality of European grapes with the fungal resistance of American varieties. This led to the creation of the first fungus-resistant grape varieties for viticulture, which were then still called hybrid grapes. Numerous such hybrid varieties were bred and cultivated, especially in France around 1900. These varieties were very popular with winegrowers, partly because of the reduced labor required by eliminating the need for spraying, but also because the new varieties tended to produce slightly higher grape yields.
Unfortunately, many new varieties were never properly tested but were planted directly on a large scale. Some of these varieties, planted in the right terroir, produced quite fine wines. However, the majority of winemakers had to learn the hard way when dealing with these new varieties, which severely affected the quality of the wines. The decline in quality and the simultaneous increase in wine production due to the increased yield ultimately forced the government to intervene. Traditional wineries exerted additional pressure on the state, and the agrochemical industry had also successfully lobbied against the resistant varieties in Paris since the end of World War I. With the introduction of the Designation of Origin (Appellation d'Origine) in 1955, the hybrids were definitively banned in France and disappeared from the scene.
Even in the major wine regions of Italy and Spain, Piwi varieties never really gained a foothold. In Germany, where the new varieties were also banned for a long time, state research institutes have been intensively working on cross-breeding since 1980. In Switzerland, breeding and selection have also increased at the private level since 1990, and a few years ago, the Swiss research institute Agroscope in Changins launched a Piwi breeding program. This has resulted in numerous promising fungus-resistant grape varieties. They are now cultivated in most European wine-growing countries – albeit still on a very modest scale.
However, we are firmly convinced that these varieties will definitely make a breakthrough in the coming years.
You can learn more about Piwi at www.piwi-international.org