Grapevine breeding and emergence of French hybrids

Date or time period: 1890s

During the early 1890s efforts in Europe greatly expanded as a consequence of the introduction of phylloxera, oidium and downy mildew. Interspecific ‘French hybrids’ of Vitis vinifera and various American species were generated by Couderc, Baco, Seibel and Seyves in an attempt to combine fruit quality of vinifera with disease and pest resistance of the American species