Wines, Vineyards and Winemakers (French Edition): History of the French Vineyard by Marcel Lachiver | Fayard

"Wines, Vines, and Winemakers - History of the French Vineyard" by Marcel Lachiver is an essential reference for all wine enthusiasts and history buffs. Published by Fayard, this book delves deeply into the evolution of French vineyards, from their origins to the present day.

How did our quality vineyards come to be, how have human, political, and physical conditions alternately benefited or harmed famous or forgotten wines, how did aristocratic wine become popular wine? This book traces the entire civilization of wine and its craftsmen, a long history during which human genius, as well as soils, slopes, climate, and grape varieties, have slowly developed the wines we know today.

White or light red, sometimes red, wine was long considered both a food and a tonic, and, since the Middle Ages, vineyards have been present throughout France. But these wines, which remain a luxury product, are fragile and rarely age.

Gradually, viticulture began producing thick and coarse wines, as ordinary people wanted colored wines, those that give strength. Great wines only began to emerge towards the end of the 17th century, thanks to new vinification and preservation techniques. Sparkling Champagne wine, Bordeaux, and then Burgundy attracted the refined consumers of the Enlightenment, as well as the English and the Dutch.

The 19th century saw the triumph of the great vintages, with the 1855 classification officially recognizing the best vineyards and terroirs. By 1875 in France, wine had found its way onto every table. But the scourges that struck the vineyards, especially phylloxera, and the demands of the modern world led to a complete reshaping of the vineyard - production increased, often to the detriment of quality. The revolt of the Languedoc winemakers and the great crisis of the 1930s forced public authorities to intervene, leading to the creation of "controlled designations of origin" in 1935.

What about tomorrow? As standardized beverages multiply, wine must remain an expression of a terroir, and the vine should continue to thrive where dozens of generations of winemakers, through their observation skills, knowledge, and efforts, have made it a natural cradle.

Marcel Lachiver, born in 1934, a former teacher, is a history professor at the University of Paris X-Nanterre. His doctoral thesis, published in 1982, is dedicated to a historical study of the old vineyards of the Paris region. As the honorary president of the Val d'Oise Historical Society, he is currently a member of the Committee of Historical and Scientific Works, Modern and Contemporary History section.

Characteristics:

• Author: Marcel Lachiver
• Publisher: Fayard
• ISBN: 978-2-213-61255-3
• Language: French
• Pages: 718
• Format: Paperback
• Dimensions: 23.5 x 15.3 x 3.6 cm