1845 · Europe
Powdery mildew reaches Europe
The first of three American vine diseases to devastate European vineyards.
What happened
Powdery mildew arrived from North America in the 1840s and spread rapidly, badly damaging harvests.
The remedy — dusting with sulfur — was found within a decade and remains standard practice, including in organic viticulture.
It was the first of a sequence. Phylloxera followed in the 1860s and downy mildew in the 1870s, all carried on imported American plant material.
How firmly this is dated
Documented. Recorded contemporaneously. The date is not in question.
Contemporary agricultural literature recording the outbreak and the development of sulfur treatment.
Sources
Sources consulted
Along the timeline
Before · c. 1800–1850
The solera system takes shape in Jerez
Fractional blending replaced vintage Sherry, giving a consistent product for an export market that demanded one.
After · 1855
The 1855 Bordeaux Classification
A ranking compiled for a Paris exhibition, based largely on price — and barely changed since.