Definition: Oenology

The science that studies wine production, including vinification, ageing and storage. The term comes from the Greek "oinos" (wine) and "logos" (knowledge). Oenology emerged in the mid-19th century, with Pasteur publishing his "Studies on wine, its diseases, their causes, and new methods for preserving and ageing it" in 1866. Shortly afterwards, academics in Bordeaux began to take an interest in regional wine-growing issues. Then, Ulysse Guyon, called upon to collaborate with Pasteur, introduced microbiology teaching and research to Bordeaux. This led to the creation of agricultural science courses, with the establishment of a station, which later became an institute and then a faculty of oenology. The great discovery in oenology was made in 1884-1855 by Guyon, with the development of Bordeaux mixture, based on an idea by his colleague Millardet. Practical applications date from the aftermath of the Second World War, with his friend Jean Ribéreau-Gayon and his assistant and friend, Émile Peynaud. Subsequently, attention turned to the vine and the terroir. The oenologist is the technician of the vine and wine.