Lousy Louse

Just some silly alliteration or a "super bug"?

Phylloxera ("Fil-LOX-eh-rah") is a root-gobbling aphid that was accidentally exported to France in a shipment of American grapevines in 1862 and spread so quickly that it all but wiped out Europe's vineyards within a generation. It kills he vines by eating their roots so growers began grafting European grapevines (Vitis vinifera) to American root stocks, and the industry was saved.

Thanks to its protected location in a narrow strip between the Andes mountains and the Pacific Ocean, the aphid has never reached the main growing regions in Chile. Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc are grown on original, ungrafted roots, producing wines with intense flavors and authentic varietal character.

Want something "original"? Try a Chilean wine this weekend.