Hungary

In Hungary, sand saved the country’s vineyards.

In the 1800s, phylloxera, a tiny louse that feeds on the roots of grapevines, destroyed large parts of the vineyards on Hungary’s hillsides. But in sand, it could not survive. The more sand in the soil, the harder it was for the louse to reach the roots. In sand rich in quartz, its tunnels collapse.

So winegrowing moved down to the sandy plain between the Danube and the Tisza. There, the vines also held drifting sand in place.

Today, Hungary’s largest wine region lies on sand, and vines can still be planted on their own roots.