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La Question Des Vignes Americaines by Millardet, Alexis, a rare captivating detail of the 1877 - wine book.
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  • La Question Des Vignes Americaines by Millardet, Alexis, a rare captivating detail of the 1877 - wine book.
  • La Question Des Vignes Americaines by Millardet, Alexis, a rare interesting detail of the 1877 - wine book.
  • La Question Des Vignes Americaines by Millardet, Alexis, a rare notable image of the 1877 - wine book.
  • La Question Des Vignes Americaines by Millardet, Alexis, a rare detail view of the 1877 - wine book.
  • La Question Des Vignes Americaines by Millardet, Alexis, a rare captivating detail of the 1877 - wine book.
  • La Question Des Vignes Americaines by Millardet, Alexis, a rare illustrated detail of the 1877 - wine book.
  • La Question Des Vignes Americaines by Millardet, Alexis, a rare captivating detail of the 1877 - wine book.
  • La Question Des Vignes Americaines by Millardet, Alexis, a rare interesting detail of the 1877 - wine book.
  • La Question Des Vignes Americaines by Millardet, Alexis, a rare notable image of the 1877 - wine book.
  • La Question Des Vignes Americaines by Millardet, Alexis, a rare detail view of the 1877 - wine book.
  • La Question Des Vignes Americaines by Millardet, Alexis, a rare captivating detail of the 1877 - wine book.
  • La Question Des Vignes Americaines by Millardet, Alexis, a rare illustrated detail of the 1877 - wine book.
La Question Des Vignes Americaines

Millardet’s (Signed) Manifesto: The Turning Point in the Phylloxera War

Millardet, Alexis

La Question Des Vignes Americaines
Au Point De Vue Theorique Et Practique Par A. Millardet Professor A La Faculte Des Sciences Do Bordeaux, Delegue De L’Academie Des Science

1877, Bordeaux, Chez Feret & Fils Editeurs-Libraires

First edition

$380 USD

Overview

A rare, author-signed copy of Millardet’s La question des Vignes Américaines, this modest-looking pamphlet marks a seismic shift in wine history.
Millardet, a key figure in the fight against the phylloxera epidemic that ravaged European vineyards, meticulously documented the problem and proposed its now-legendary solution: grafting European vines onto phylloxera-resistant American rootstock.

Inside the book

Dedicated to Pasteur, the work is as much a testament to scientific collaboration as it is to practical genius, and this signed edition offers a personal trace of the man who helped rescue French wine from collapse. As highlighted on the cover, the booklet focuses on how to resist Phylloxera, the different classes of American grape varieties, the characteristics to recognize resistant varieties and some practical instructions like the choice of a rootstock and the best grafting methods. A few illustrations in the text.

Why La Fenice chose it

A reminder that the fate of European wine hung on a few good grafts, signed by the very man who saved it. Basically like getting a handshake with phylloxera’s worst nightmare.
Condition Report

Pp. [2], 82, [4].

Original light blue paperback. Front cover (with the author's signature) detached and damaged at the bottom left corner. Last couple of pages and back cover detached. Otherwise internally in perfect conditions.

Dimensions (inches): 10 x 6.5 x 1/4
About the author

Alexis Millardet (1838–1902) was a French botanist and viticulturist whose work transformed the future of European wine. Best remembered for his decisive role in combating the phylloxera epidemic, Millardet’s studies demonstrated that grafting European grapevines onto resistant American rootstock could save France’s vineyards from collapse.

"Millardet deserves greater recognition. His research not only helped combat phylloxera, but he also formulated “Bordeaux mixture”, which protected vines against downy mildew and black root, first discovered in Cérons in 1887. His statue stands in the Jardin Public in the city of Bordeaux" - Neal Martin, The Complete Bordeaux Vintage Guide, 2023

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