The great wines of Burgundy from 1750 to 1870 | Loïc Abric

Drawing on the wealth of important private archives, Loïc Abric invites us to discover the production, trade, and clientele of the great wines of Burgundy, from the second half of the 18th century to the appearance of phylloxera. After recalling the customs and practices of vine cultivation and wine aging, he traces the history of the Burgundy wine trade linked to the transformation of wine brokers into merchants and their establishment in the marketplaces of Beaune and Nuits. He describes the work of these merchants, their representatives traveling throughout France and abroad, the cost and types of transportation used, and the prices of different wines, both for purchase and sale.
A geographical and social approach to the clientele of the major trading houses enriches the commercial and technical aspects by discussing the evolution of their tastes and desires. The challenges posed by climate variations, unstable political conditions, and the uncertainties of wine storage, both with the clients and in the merchants' cellars, are addressed before concluding on the cultural and economic role of wine in our society.