Science, Vine and Wine in Modern France

Examines viticulture and oenology, and the civilization of wine in modern France.

Harry W. Paul (Author)

9780521497459, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 28 September 1996

368 pages, 8 b/w illus. 1 map 10 tables
23.6 x 16 x 2.5 cm, 0.67 kg

'Science, Vine and Wine is a passionate and compelling book which is supplied copiously with footnotes and references to archives, contemporary journals and scientific works spanning two centuries … Professor Paul has written an intriguing book.' Hugh Clout, Journal of Wine Research

Science, Vine and Wine in Modern France examines the role of science in the civilization of wine in modern France. Viticulture, the science of the vine itself, and oenology, the science of winemaking, are its subjects. Together they can boast of at least two major triumphs: the creation of the post-phylloxera vines that repopulated late-nineteenth-century vineyards devastated by the disease; and the understanding of the complex structure of wine that eventually resulted in the development of the widespread wine models of Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Champagne. This is the first analysis of the scientific battle over the best way to save the French vineyards and the first account of the growth of oenological science in France since Chaptal and Pasteur.

Preface
Part I. Reinventing the Vine for Quality Wine Production: 1. Death and Resurrection in the Phylloxeric Vineyard
2. Scientific Programs for the Spread of the Grafted Vine
3. Direct Production Hybrids: Quality Wines?
4. The Fall of the Hybrid Empire and the Victory of Vitis vinifera
Part II. Laying the Foundations of Oenology: 5. Jean-Antoine Chaptal
6. Louis Pasteur
Part III. Oenology in Champagne, Burgundy, and Languedoc: 7. Champagne: the Science of Bubbles
8. Burgundy: The Limits of Empirical Science
9. Languedoc-Roussillon: innovations in tradition
Part IV. Oenology in Bordeaux: 10. The pastorian oenology of Ulysse Gayon
11. The Ionic Gospel of the New Oenology
12. The Production of Oenologists
Conclusion: Mopping-up Operations or Contemporary Oenology as Normal Science
Notes
Bibliography
Index.

Subject Areas: History of science [PDX]