Weinbau in Frankreich
The advance of the French wine industry stopped abruptly as first Mildew and then Phylloxera spread throughout the country and the rest of Europe, leaving vineyards desolate. Then came an economic downturn in Europe followed by two world wars and the French wine industry was depressed for decades. Competition threatened French brands such as Champagne and Bordeaux. This resulted in the establishment in 1935 of the "Appellation d'origine contrôlée" to protect French interests. Large investments, the economic revival after World War II and a new generation of "Vignerons" yielded results in the 1970s and the following decades, creating the modern French wine industry.