ABSTRACT
The History of Rioja Wine offers an informative, chronological and in-depth account of Rioja wine from the mid-19th century to the present.
This book illuminates the fascinating and largely unknown success story of Rioja wine. Drawing on illustrative sources, the volume traces the economic, social, cultural and political evolution of Rioja wine through from the 1850s into the late 1930s, concluding with a reflection on the lesson its appealing success story offers to any lover of history and wine. The book is adorned with historical photographs throughout, the majority previously unpublished.
An ideal companion for both students interested in Spanish history and wine enthusiasts more generally, this volume offers readers the opportunity to uncork the secrets of Rioja’s wine.
1. An intruder at the royal table 2. Everything started with a crisis 3. Taste and status: the invention of the "gourmet" in early bourgeois society 4. A voice in the wilderness 5. The Médoc connection: transnational knowledge transfer or industrial espionage? 6. Conquering the Queen’s palate 7. Thwarted: too modern for the time 8. Quantity beats quality: the challenge of the phylloxera plague 9. The comeback: shape and consolidation of a brand 10. New wine, new conflicts: industrial wineries, small winegrowers and the state 11. The globalization trap: challenges and opportunities for Rioja wine in the 21st century
