• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

Ohio Grape-Wine Short Course 1994 Proceedings Horticulture Department Series 641 The Ohio State University Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center Wooster, Ohio '- ~------_.--P-____________________________________ _. • T · H · E OHIO SD\1E UNIVERSITY ~-----------------~ Horticulture Department Series #641 April 1995 Proceedings of the 22"d OHIO GRAPE-WINE SHORT COURSE February 20 - February 22, 1994 - Cleveland, Ohio Edited by Roland Riesen Sponsored by Department of Horticulture- The Ohio State University In cooperation with Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center Ohio Cooperative Extension Service Ohio Grape Industries Committee • Ohio Wine Producers Association With the contribution of Bonnie Franks Margaret Latta Lloyd Lemmermann Judy Stetson This page intentionally blank. PREFACE More than 150 persons attended the 1994 Ohio Grape-Wine Short Course, which was held at the Holiday Inn, Middleburg Heights, OH on February 20-February 22. Those attending were from 15 states, not including Ohio, and represented many areas of the grape and wine industry. This course was sponsored by the Department of Horticulture, The Ohio State University, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Ohio Cooperative Extension Service, Ohio Wine Producers Association and Ohio Grape Industries Committee . • All publications of the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center are available to all potential clientele on a nondiscriminatory basis without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, sex, age, handicap, or Vietnam-era veteran status. Water Management and Effect on Fruit Quality Diane Miller ......................................................................................................... 64 Yeasts in Winemaking Roland Riesen ..................................................................................................... 68 Bacterial Considerations in Winemaking Christian E. Syberg ........................................................................................... 99 Impact of Microbes on Grape Product Quality & Microbial Evaluation ofWinery Sanitation Practices Ellen Harkness ······························································-·································· 107 Influence of Wine Composition on Filtration--Diatomaceous Earth and Pad Filtration Kent R. Glaus .................................................................................................. 123 Influence of Wine Composition on Filtration-Achieving Microbiological Stability Through Membrane Filtration Peter Meier ........................................................................................................ 128 Use of the Wine Aroma Wheel John Buechsenstein ......................................................................................... 142 Lake Erie Quality Wine Alliance--Its Mission and Present Status Bob Mazza ....................................................................................................... 147 Can eros Quality Alliance-The Development of an Appellation Eugenia Keegan ............................................................................................... 150 History of the Ohio Wine Producers Association Members and Their Role in the Ohio Wine Industry 152 Summary of the Results of the S.W.O.T. Analysis •••••.•••••..••••••••...•••••••..•••••• 153 lll j j j j j • j j ~ j j j j j j j j This page intentionally blank. j j j j j j j j j j j j • j j j j j j j IDSTORY AND CULTURE IN FRANCE'S RHONE VALLEY Karla L. Roehrig Department of Food Science and Technology The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210 Introduction The Rhone River appellation runs from Vienna (just south ofLyon) for nearly 140 miles along both sides of the Rhone down to Avignon. Some of the oldest vineyards in France, pre­ dating even Roman times, are located here. The region is home to distinctive wines and food flavored by the connections to much of Europe's most colorful and exciting historical events. Compared to the rest of France, the Rhone region is more Romanesque with a distinctive cuisine. Wines from this region remain an exceptional value both for their high quality and for cost. Somewhat overshadowed by the more popular regions of Bordeaux and Burgundy, the Rhone does not have as large a following for its earthy, spicy, bold wines. The purpose of this discussion is to examine the impact of major historical events on the culture of the area, the food and wines of the region, and the unique characteristics of and changes in its wine industry. History and Geography of the Rhone River Valley The source of the Rhone is from Lake Geneva in Switzerland. It joins the Saone at Lyon then flows about 140 miles to Avignon, the southern boundary of the wine appellation, and from there to the Mediterranean Sea. The region is in the south central part ofFrance (Fig. 1), but certain parts of it have only recently become incorporated into France. The river valley was a military and trade route even before the Romans came to dominate the region. Evidence suggests that many of the vineyards, widely credited to Roman expansion, actually pre-dated the Romans. The Rhone region has been occupied for thousands of years (Table 1). There are paleolithic cave paintings dating to 20,000BC. Between 15,000 and 12,000BC, the Reindeer age, the Solutrean civilization left evidence of an advanced society which made excellent stone points. The Rhone was also occupied during the Neolithic period around 8000BC. By 2000BC, however, the Bronze age was in full flower along the Rhone river which was used to transport amber, tin and other trade goods. Advanced metalworking superior to other regions flourished here. While the Greeks were founding Marseilles (Massalia) on the south coast of France, the Celtic princes ruled a clan-based society in the rest of France and central Europe. Although often characterized as barbaric by the Romans, this society had a prosperous and flourishing trade in wine, oils and metalwork throughout the Alps and along the Rhone and Saone rivers. Two Celtic princes founded what is today Lyon. They stopped at the confluence of the Sa6ne and Rhone rivers finding it an especially pleasant area. Seeing a flock of crows there, they named it • Lugundum (hill of crows), now called Lyon, which is today the second largest city in France . The sophistication of the Celtic society of the time is reflected in their artifacts. A particularly 1 fine example is a 5 foot tall bronze vase weighing 450 pounds which belonged to the Princess of Vix. This vase, which was likely acquired through trade with Italy, held 250 gallons ofwine and is equipped with a strainer to hold herbs that were added to the wine. That women could own such fine property and have elaborate burial sites suggests that Celtic women had considerable status and influence in their society. In the Celtic culture dead heros were worshipped, and religious ceremonies required animal and human sacrifices. The Celts also collected the heads of those whom they defeated. Math, astronomy and the written word were all in wide use by the time the Celts were driven out of France by the Romans. The final defeat came when Vercingetorix, Prince of the Celts, lost a crucial battle to Gaius Julius Caesar in 52 BC. The Rhone region continued to be important to the Romans. Lyon was the birthplace of Emperor Claudius. Hannibal also started his March across the Alps from Vienna. During Roman occupation of the Rhone, a number of monuments, aqueducts, spas and amphitheaters were erected, and many are still in fine shape or have been restored. In Vienna, there is a temple to Caesar Augustus and his wife Livy. Claudius, Emperor from 41-54AD, built amphitheaters along the Rhone in Lyon, Vienna, Orange and Ailes. During this time Lyon had as many as 100,000 inhabitants. Eventually the Roman civilization failed and southern France was overrun by the Visigoths from the Russian steppes. Even though Roman civilization fell, the so-called dark ages prevailed and life was not as it was, this period still had advances, and the wine business flourished. The Christian church had extensive ties to the region. Pontius Pilate, pro-consul presiding over the crucifixion of Christ was removed from his job in the Middle East for ineptitude in office. Legend has it that given a choice between execution and suicide, he chose suicide by jumping off the cliff at Ponsas along the Rhone. Another legend suggests that he and his wife later became Christians and were martyred. Whether that was the case or not for Pontius Pilate, it clearly was the case for many early Christians along the Rhone who were slaughtered by the thousands in the amphitheaters built by Claudius. For example, Septimus Severns had 18,000 Christians slaughtered in the Vienna amphitheater alone. Not long afterward, however, the area became predominantly Christian, and the region was a focus of many crucial decisions by the early Christian church. In 529 AD, the Council of Orange met in Orange and declared predestination an integral part of Christian theology. The amphitheater at Orange is today the site of the annual Rhone wine fair in June. The Rhone valley was also the site of the papacy during the only period when it was outside of Rome. A series of devious and no doubt illegal maneuverings led to this. Philip-the-Fair, King ofFrance, succeeded in getting his candidate for Pope elected. This was particularly important to the French King because he wanted the money that the wealthy

Load more

  184

Copy Link