Bugs, Tariffs and Colonies: The Political Economy of the Wine Trade 186001970

Meloni, Giulia; Swinnen, Johan

doi:10.2139/ssrn.2877121

Cited by 3 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…The crisis hits the Champagne region especially hard after 1900, when Phylloxera arrives in the north and when poor harvests (lower supply) are not compensated by higher prices because of imported (Spanish, Italian and Algerian) wines (Meloni and Swinnen, 2016a). The crisis triggers strong lobbying by the Champagne merchants and wine growers in the Marne region to block "false Champagne" and to prevent "lower quality" sparkling wines from neighboring regions to use the name "Champagne".…”

Section: General Insights and Conclusionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Trade and terroir. The political economy of the world’s first geographical indications

Meloni

Swinnen

2018

Food Policy

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The world's first geographical indications (GIs) were in the wine sector and focused on the delineation of the location of production, the 'terroir': the Burgundy wines in the fifteenth century, the Port wines and Chianti wines in the eighteenth century, and the Champagne wines in the early twentieth century. We analyze the causes for the introduction of these GIs ('terroirs') and for changes in their delineation (expansion) later on. Our analysis shows that trade played a very important role in the creation of the 'terroirs' but not always through the same mechanisms. For the Port and Chianti GIs it was exports to Britain that were crucial; for Burgundy it was domestic trade to Paris; and for the Champagne GI it was not exports but pressure from wine imports and new wine regions that played a crucial role. For the expansions of the GIs later in history, other factors seem to have been equally important. Expansions of the GIs in the years and centuries after their introduction followed major changes in political power; the spread of a new philosophy in liberal and free markets across Europe; and infrastructure investments which opened up markets and made exports cheaper from "new" producers.

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Section: General Insights and Conclusionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Trade and terroir. The political economy of the world’s first geographical indications

Meloni

Swinnen

2018

Food Policy

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“…The typical production was in the range 50 to 60 Mhl per year, and the French consumed about 45 of it. Oïdium caused a drop in production (Meloni and Swinnen 2016) from 54 (in 1847) to 11 Mhl (in 1854), but spraying with sulphites led to a relatively fast recovery: the production was back to 54 Mhl in 1858. Because of mildiou and especially phylloxera, the production dropped again well below the level of consumption, but this time for many years: the production returned to pre-phylloxera levels only in 1910.…”

Section: Imported and Imitation Winesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Because of mildiou and especially phylloxera, the production dropped again well below the level of consumption, but this time for many years: the production returned to pre-phylloxera levels only in 1910. In the late 1870s, France became the largest importer of wine in the world (Meloni and Swinnen 2016;Pinilla and Serrano 2008;Pinilla 2014). It also produced 'wine' from dry raisins and grape marc.…”

Section: Imported and Imitation Winesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wine and France: A Brief History

Estreicher

2023

European Review

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The earliest archaeological evidence of wine making in Southern France is dated 425 bce. Viticulture was present along the Mediterranean coast of France when the Romans arrived (second century bce) and flourished everywhere by the time they left (fifth century ce). For several centuries, long-distance trade virtually disappeared and the infrastructure fell apart. Profitable viticulture remained mostly local and was concentrated in the hands of the wealthy nobility and the Church. After the turn of the first Millennium, towns became cities and a middle-class emerged. In the twelfth century, the wine trade with England gained importance. Wines were shipped from Rouen, Nantes, La Rochelle, and later Bordeaux. Monastic orders controlled the most fertile land, especially in Champagne and Burgundy. In the thirteenth century, the Languedoc became a part of France. During the Avignon papacy, new vineyards were planted, in particular Châteauneuf-du-Pape. After the Renaissance, scientific studies gradually improved viticulture and wine-making. Ultimately, fermentation was understood. The Dutch greatly expanded the wine trade. Then, the first intentionally bubbly wines, distilled wines, and noble-rot wines were made. Informal rankings of Bordeaux wines led to the famous 1855 classification. In the late nineteenth century, nature-made catastrophes, especially phylloxera, transformed France into the largest wine-importing country in the world. Sub-standard and blended wines became common, hurting the reputation of all French wines. The two world wars, the Great Depression and Prohibition shrunk the market for wines. The way out involved strict quality-control measures and hard work. The next problem could well be global warming.

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“…To fill this gap, France followed a strategy with four components (Meloni and Swinnen, 2016a). First, and most obviously, France searched for ways to make vineyards resistant to Phylloxera.…”

Section: The Rise Of the Raisin Tradementioning

confidence: 99%

“…The global wine business was dominated by France (Francis, 1972;Lampe, 1975;Rose, 2011 French vineyards in the decades after. This devastation transforms the entire wine industry and trade around the Mediterranean (Meloni and Swinnen, 2016a).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%