La chimie des vins. Les vins naturels, les vins manipules et falsifies par Antoine De Saporta Avec figures intercalees dans le texte
$362.00 AUD
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Before natural wine became a myth, chemistry was already defending it.
De Saporta, Antoine
La chimie des vins. Les vins naturels, les vins manipules et falsifies par Antoine De Saporta Avec figures intercalees dans le texte
Avec figures intercalees dans le texte
1889, Paris, Librairie J. - B. Bailliere et Fils
First Edition
$362.00 AUD
Overview
In-16. Pp. 160.
Published in Paris in 1889, La chimie des vins is a foundational work in modern enological science and one of the earliest systematic studies of wine chemistry. Written at a time when wine adulteration was a widespread commercial and public concern, the volume reflects the scientific rigor of the French Third Republic and its commitment to analytical transparency. De Saporta dismantles the romantic notion of ancestral, untouched wine, demonstrating instead that wine has long been a scientific product, subject to chemical control, manipulation, and verification. Through careful laboratory analysis, he distinguishes natural wines from those altered or falsified, positioning chemistry as the guardian of authenticity rather than its enemy. The book addresses numerous falsification practices common in the nineteenth century, including plastering, sugaring, acidification, the use of dried raisins, artificial colorants, and other corrective techniques. These practices are examined not polemically, but analytically, offering tools to identify and measure their presence.
Inside the book
The text explores the chemical composition of wine and presents methods for detecting adulteration through quantitative and qualitative analysis. Numerous illustrations document early biochemical laboratory technologies, including measuring devices, microscopic instruments, and experimental setups used in wine analysis. These figures transform the book into both a theoretical treatise and a practical manual, illustrating how scientific instrumentation entered the winery and the laboratory alike.
Condition
Original printed paperback; two different ownership signatures; wear to covers, some missing portions with earlier restorations, with reasonable care; front cover partially detached at the upper spine. Some reinforcements at the binding at pp. 16-17 32-33. Some light foxing. Many illustrations in the text. Internally in good conditions, and overall good copy.
Dimensions (inches): 7.5 x 5 x 0.7
Why La Fenice likes it
Before “natural wine” became a manifesto, De Saporta reminds us that wine has never been innocent, and that science has long stood between truth and fraud, microscope in hand.
About the author
Antoine de Saporta (1855-?), French chemist and viticulturist who specialized in wine analysis and quality control during the late 19th century.
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