THE TALE OF THE SILENT KILLERS

Oenophiles and plant pathologists, we’ve got a thriller for you. In the mid-1800s, European vineyards fell victim to a calamitous pest brought over by ships from North America. These microscopic insects annihilated grapevines and led many formerly fruitful terraces to become abandoned “mortórios” that can still be seen today. Find out more about how the Port wineries of the 19th century dealt with the stealthy “dry leaf devastator,” Phylloxera, and how the plight eventually led to new innovations in vineyards all over Europe.