The Sober Revolution: Appellation Wine and the Transformation of France by Joseph Bohling

Abstract

Reviewed by: The Sober Revolution: Appellation Wine and the Transformation of France by Joseph Bohling James P. Gilroy Bohling, Joseph. The Sober Revolution: Appellation Wine and the Transformation of France. Cornell UP, 2018. ISBN 978-1-5017-1604-1. Pp. 278. Bohling describes the evolution of the wine industry in France from the Third Republic to the present as emblematic of the development of the French state during that period. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the French wine business was dominated by what he calls "industrial" wine, lower quality vintages produced in huge amounts in Languedoc and Algeria. The makers of these wines were subsidized by the French government which bought up the frequent surpluses and thereby increased the national debt. These industrial producers engaged powerful lobbyists who exercised coercive influence on the legislators of the parliamentary Third and Fourth Republics. To dispose of the wine glut, the French public was encouraged by the industry and the government to consume as much wine as possible. The latter was promoted as a nourishing foodstuff and an essential part of the national culture. After World War I, there developed a counter-movement to these long-standing trends. The producers of the higher-quality wines of Burgundy, Bordeaux, and Champagne pushed for an appellation system that clearly indicated the provenance of each bottle. They claimed that their terroir products were a truer representation of the national patrimony than the mass-produced wines of the southwest and Algeria. They were joined in this crusade by members of the medical profession who said that the presence of the cheaper wines on the market encouraged alcoholism and automobile accidents. Dangerous roadways were detrimental to the growing tourist trade. This conflict between the different branches of the wine industry became part of a larger political struggle. Technocrats and progressives wanted to get rid of the weak and unstable [End Page 259] parliamentary government and establish a more centralized presidential regime. They got their way when De Gaulle came to power and created the Fifth Republic. Another major transition was to replace the concept of France as an imperial power with that of France as a partner in the European economic community. Algeria's independence in 1962 marked the end of its once-enormous role in the French wine business. At the same time, wine growers in Languedoc were encouraged to diversify their agricultural production and grow needed crops like cereals. Those who continued to produce wine often turned toward higher-quality appellation vintages. These modernizations and reorientations of the French state and economy led to new challenges. France had to face competition from other European wine producers, especially Italy. Moreover, globalization brought an influx of American wine on the market. The Americans usually identified their wines by grape varietals rather than place of origin. Despite these potential inroads, the French appellation system has managed to survive and prosper. Producers have cleverly manipulated the economic policies of the EU to their advantage. They have also devised a brilliant advertising campaign promoting French wine as an integral part of the nation's historical and geographical heritage. This book will be of greater interest to economists and political scientists than to readers interested in cultural and esthetic topics. The work contains a good deal of statistical information. James P. Gilroy University of Denver (CO) Copyright © 2020 American Association of Teachers of French