Definition: Pasteur (Louis 1822–1895)

Who was Louis Pasteur really? What wines did he drink, he who considered wine to be the healthiest and most hygienic beverage? According to the testimonies of his close colleagues, Louis Pasteur was not a bon vivant. He cared little for the pleasures of the table and the cellar. A hygiene fanatic, he would scrape his bread down to the crumb and clean his glass for fear of finding traces of dust. He would not use a plate or glass without first examining it meticulously and wiping it several times. A native of the Jura region, he nevertheless appreciated the yellow wine of Arbois and the Bordeaux wines he discovered while on holiday near Saint-Georges in Aquitaine. From these tastings, Louis Pasteur expressed this lovely maxim: "A meal without wine is a day without sunshine."

But above all, the man had a passion for science and his country. In this deeply wine-producing region of France, he felt deeply concerned by the difficulties faced by his winemaker friends in Arbois. He therefore embarked on extensive research, determined to understand the alterations in wines caused by the presence of microscopic organisms. To carry out his studies, he moved closer to the vineyards and, in 1864, set up a laboratory in Arbois to develop processes for preserving and improving the quality of wines. At the request of the National Commission of the Ministry of the Navy, he conducted tests on heating wine. His goal was to ensure that crews no longer drank wine that had turned to vinegar. The first trial, conducted in Brest, was a success. The barrels, which had been on board the Jean-Bart ship for ten months, were examined by the commission upon their return. They noted the clarity, smoothness and mellowness of the heated wine!

But Louis Pasteur sought to take his investigations further. Faced with difficulties in obtaining grapes or working on the estates, he used grapes from his own vineyard north of Arbois, near Montigny, knowing that the terroir was excellent. He expanded it, but, powerless against phylloxera, he replanted it with grafted vines in 1879. Today, Louis Pasteur's vineyard is planted with 540 Chardonnay vines, 540 Poulsard vines, 540 Pinot Noir vines, 110 Savagnin vines and 740 Trousseau vines. The vineyard is owned by the Académie des Sciences and is cultivated and maintained by the Henri Maire wine merchant. The Clos Pasteur wine is not sold commercially, but is reserved for Pasteur souvenirs.

Pasteur's Vineyard Born in Dole, Louis Pasteur spent his childhood and youth in Arbois, a town in the Jura region to which he remained very attached. Throughout his life, the scientist returned every year to his home in Arbois, his "Château de la Cuisance" as he liked to call it, and stayed there surrounded by his family and friends.

In Arbois, Pasteur carried out numerous studies, notably his experiments on wine fermentation, which led to the development of pasteurisation. He is considered the father of modern oenology, particularly for his Études sur le vin (Studies on Wine), published in 1866.
In 1878, he bought the Rosières vineyard in Montigny les Arsures, the neighbouring village where he would conduct experiments that would disprove the theory of spontaneous generation.
In 1879, he began building his own laboratory in this peaceful location, the only one to remain intact today.

Since 1992, the 49-acre vineyard, house and laboratory have belonged to the Académie des Sciences (Paris) and are open to visitors.
Clos de Rosières has been maintained by the Henri Maire company since 1942, and every year a "white coat harvest" takes place there.
House of Louis Pasteur
(Foundation of the Academy of Sciences)
83, rue de Courcelles
39600 Arbois - Jura - France
00 33 (0)3 84 66 11 72
maisondelouispasteur@wanadoo.fr
Open daily from 1 April to 15 October (for groups, visits possible by reservation from 2 March 2009)
Another link with wine from the man who wrote "Wine is the healthiest and most hygienic beverage there is" is the Château des Ravatys, owned by the Pasteur Institute since 1937. Thirty hectares located in the heart of Beaujolais in the commune of Saint-Lager, in the Brouilly and Côtes de Brouilly appellations.
All profits from the sale of the château's wines are donated to the Pasteur Institute.
Source: Winetourisminfrance.com - highly recommended website:
contact@winetourisminfrance.com