Of partridges eie and gowtie folke

First publlished in Latin in1564, Charles Estienne's essay on country life, L'agriculture et maison rustique , became a renaissance bestseller when it was translated first into French by the author's son-in-law Jean Liebault, and later into Dutch, German, Italian, and several Scandinavian languages. It's a treasure house of information about early modern agricultural practices, and particularly delightful reading in the elegant Elizabethan prose of its English translator, Richard Surflet. Among much other interesting material, it contains the earliest summary we have of the wines of France and their various growing regions.

A number of vineyards mentioned here as sources of fine wine no longer support vines on a commercial scale. The region immediately around Paris falls into this category, as does Normandy. Wines from Burgundy are said to be "the most excellent that are to be found in all of France." All are said to be red, even the ones from "Chablie."

The author warns readers that "before a man judge of the goodness and qualities of wines, he must every year consider the estate and constitution of the seasons of every year, as also take a diligent taste of the wines, thereby to give a more assured judgment." Still good advice.

Many thanks to Marin County winemaker Sean Thackrey for making this excerpt available at his website.