Grape Phylloxera (Daktulosphaira vitifoliae) is a small, pale yellow, aphid-like insect native to North America, although it’s had an unwanted presence worldwide. Phylloxera feed on the roots and leaves of grapevines, causing deformations and infections which eventually cut of the supply nutrients and water to the vine – ultimately killing it.

Phylloxera is a name known well by any absinthe historian as being a major contributory in the banning of absinthe, even when absinthe consumption was heading towards its peak, the economy of France was still highly dependent on wine production. So when in the late 19th century the Phylloxera epidemic annihilated the majority of vineyards across Europe, it allowed absinthe to further solidify its already growing reputation. In France, between 1875 and 1889, wine production fell from 84.5 hectolitres to a mere 23.4.<!--[if gte mso 9]-->

As France began to recover from the staggering losses it suffered, wine producers found absinthe’s grip to be a lot tighter than they may have imagined, and so they sided with the temperance movement in their attempts to bring absinthe down.

Above: A picture circa 1890 depicting Phylloxera as a gourmet of the best wines.