Liquid Geography:
The Geography of Vine and Wine
David R. Green
Lecture 3
Political Geography of Viticulture
• Politico-geographical factors have often affected the
development of viticulture
• Historical - past to present
• Wine – luxury commodity
• Good prices
• World market
• Economic competition led to political conflict
• Impact on the industry
• Cultural landscape
Lecture 3
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Methuen Treaty (1703) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methuen_Treaty)
Impact on the economic geography of Portugal
Best example of the role of viticulture on politico-geographical factor
At the time – the Anglo-Portuguese alliance (during the struggle for
the Spanish throne) gave the English a landing base on the Iberian
Peninsula’s western flank
• One of the conditions was the lowering of the duties on Portuguese
wines sold to England
• The effect was the expansion of Portugal’s viticulture
• In the Upper Douro region – land previously used for growing grain
was planted with vines
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douro
Lecture 3
• This also meant that Portugal became more reliant on
external sources for food no longer produced at home
• Furthermore, capitalists from Britain based in Porto
bought much of the land that was converted to vineyards
and controlled the export industry
• Methuen Treaty changed the map of Portugal, and
moreover stifled economic growth in non-agricultural
sectors, and made Portugal a dependency of Britain!
• Some – however – view this more positively – and argue
that it led to development of Portuguese infrastructure
and other industries (e.g. Porcelain) as well as its strong
political position with its colonies e.g. Brazil
Lecture 3
• The Methuen Treaty remained in effect for
140 years – terminating in 1842
• Impact on the economy (as a direct result
of the Politics!) led to the development of
Port (a Portuguese vinicultural speciality) –
which was developed for British tastes
• The vineyards of the Upper Douro
represent English involvement for a
century and a half of external influence
Lecture 3
• According to de Blij there is a parallel in South
African wine production in the first half of the 19th
Century
• Again this was an area under British tariff
protection
• Collapse of the industry when the duty barriers
were raised (1861)
• Another example of the link between Politics and
Economics – Treaties and Markets
Lecture 3
• But there are other politico-geographical
factors that have had an impact on the
cultural landscape of viticulture e.g. de Blij
cites:
– Relative location and proximity
– Monopolistic intervention
– Politico-territorial change
– Revolutionary and ideological orientation
Lecture 3
Relative location and proximity
• Location of Bordeaux and Burgundy – crucial to their
development
• Bordeaux in SW France was exposed to the competing
powers of Western Europe (including Britain) – much of
Bordeaux and the Department of Gironde were English ruled
(1154-1493)
• Tastes for Claret (Clairet) developed during this time
• Also thriving trade between Bordeaux and English ports.
• Controlled by merchants and entrepreneurs
• Later reintegration into France (after 1453) and again after the
French Revolution – when secession was popular
(e.g. to make a formal withdrawal of membership from a political alliance, federation, or group)
Lecture 3
Relative location and proximity
• In the Middle Ages Burgundy was isolated, with poor
access (poor and seasonably impassable roads)
• The church and the nobility controlled the vineyards and
wine production (cf. last slide)
• Impact of the French Revolution was far more significant
here than in Bordeaux - where the fragmentation of
Burgundy’s lands remained
• This is a legacy of its relative location
Note: whilst Bordeaux is dominated by large estates Burgundy is composed of thousands of
small-scale growers, often with only tiny parcels of land
Lecture 3
Relative location and proximity
Lecture 3
Relative location and proximity
• More recently – in the 1970s – political conflict between
France and Italy over flooding of the French market with
cheap Italian wines was an issue
• Prices of French wines on the French market were relatively
high – even for vin ordinaire from the south!
• Proximity meant that the Italians could easily reach the
French market – just across the border – at low cost
• This led to undercutting of local producers
• In 1975 – there were Wine Riots (roads blocked / trucks
overturned)
• Illegal tarrifs were raised by the French (illegal under EC
regulations!)
• Eventually resolved in 1976 – but reveals the effect of
proximity and accessibility in competitive situations (much
more difficult to achieve e.g. had it been the UK market!)
Lecture 3
Monopolistic Intervention
• Historical control exercised on where there were vineyards
• For example: Roman Emperor Domitian ordered vines in Burgundy
to be grubbed up (A.D. 90) to protect viticulture in Italy
• In Spain, Philip II stopped vine planting in Spanish Mexico (Spain’s
colony) to protect the wine industry for the Spanish crown – an
example of retaining a monopoly over the industry
• Not totally successful as not everyone e.g. missionaries obeyed the
order!
• The result is that new vineyards were diffused westward as far as
possible from the influence and control of Spanish administration
• Vines were concealed from officials when new areas for viticulture
were discovered
• The result of all this was a delay in the development of the industry
and its spatial expansion
Lecture 3
Revolutionary change etc.
• It is evident that in many areas throughout the world that
revolutionary change – with development of new
ideological order and different economic ideology has
quite a big impact of viticulture which is fragile industry,
and political conflict and instability are rapidly reflected in
vineyards
Lecture 3
Politico-territorial change
• Two areas where this has affected are: Australia and the USA
• The formation of the Commonwealth in 1891 – led to the decline of
the vineyards in Hunter Valley, Australia
• Environmental obstacles to growing grapes means that wines are
not cheap
• Duty barriers that were erected by NSW against other Australian
wines helped them to survive
• Unification revoked internal customs barriers leading to cheap wines
flooding the NSW markets and Sydney
• Hunter Valley wines could not compete, and vineyards were
uprooted – very slow recovery since then
• The politico-geographical map transformed the cultural landscape of
the Hunter Valley almost overnight
Lecture 3
Politico-territorial change
• In the USA it was communications that changed things
• In the 1860s wine industry of eastern US was thriving
• Ohio was the leading Viticulture region of the US (1/3rd of the
harvest)
• New York and Missouri were major producers
• Eastern markets were accustomed to taste of locally produced
wines
• Eastern winemakers sought to prevent California wines from
reaching local dealers
• 1869 – first transcontinental railway link established
• Competitive situation changed as a result of access to market
• Some Eastern wineries bought Californian wines – as did
consumers
Lecture 3
Politico-territorial / Ideological change
• Changing tastes – some Californian wines blended with
local wines
• However, Phylloxera largely put an end to this
development in both the east and California
• But the eastern viticulture industry began to recover as
more people came to the US (landed on the east coast),
and wine began to be exported to world markets
• Later Prohibition had a significant impact as ideology
changed – and the political geography of Prohibition led
to communities then states declaring themselves ‘dry’
• 1920 – National Prohibition became Law
• Destroyed viticulture in the east and affected that of the
west
Lecture 3
Politico-territorial / Ideological change
• Other examples cited by de Blij include Algeria which
was affected by the Algerian Revolution (1954-1962)
• Large numbers of European settlers left
• Vineyards run by the French were turned over to state
‘workers committees’
• Not a success – and further intervention by the state led
to change from vineyards to cereal-producing farms in
1970s
• France also reduced Algerian wine imports – to protect
its own market – resulting in the further decline of
Algerian viticulture – although wine production continued
and was exported to the Soviet Union
Lecture 3
Legislation
• Developed in the 20th Century as a way to
control wine production
• Legislation required
• Wine laws
• French Regulations in 1930s (although
originated earlier)
• Germany and South Africa – legal controls over
wine production and labelling
• Italy and USA – regulations continue to develop
• It is the impact of this legislation that is of
interest to the Political aspects of viticulture
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Legislation
• The Appellation d’Origine Controlee Laws (France) – altered the
Viticultural map – as did the Italian Classico
• German Wine Laws (historical origins back to the 1700s to 1971
etc.)
• Mediterranean, US, and South African Legislation also….
• Historical evolution of the legislation – continuing in the USA
• All of which seek to classify (and control) the location, label, quality,
type, and even in Germany by the ripeness of the grape! By defining
the definition of areas and regions, delimitation of boundaries on
maps.
• This creates its own political geography
An appellation is a geographical indication used to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown. The
rules that govern appellations are dependent on the country in which the wine was produced.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appellation
Lecture 3
Summary
• All of these examples reveal the impact of
Politics on the geography of Viticulture
• One that is affected by both Stress and Change
• But one that is also affected by Legislation
Lecture 3
Reading
• Chapter 5: Political Geography of Viticulture:
From Wine Wars to Wine Laws. In: de Blij, H.J.
(1983). Wine – A Geographic Appreciation.