This is a splendid book and a model of its kind: a thematic monograph with a clear focus and an excellent presentation. The quality of the book stems from the specific circumstances of the author. The grandson of wine growers and for many years director of a college situated in the heart of the Combe de Savoie vineyard area, he has a lifelong experience of viticulture in all its aspects. Having already produced a first thesis on the 19th century history of Savoyan viticulture, the present book is based on a doctoral thesis completed at the Institut de Géographie Alpine, Grenoble.

The book compares the evolution of viticulture in three areas flanking the Mont-Blanc Massif: the subalpine trench and Combe de Savoie in France, the Rhone corridor in the Swiss canton of Valais, and the headwaters of the Val d'Aoste in Italy. From the age of railway development and industrialization onward, the three regions have experienced contrasting fortunes. Whereas viticulture in Valais has extended virtually to its physical limits, the vineyards of Savoie and the Val d'Aoste have declined by two-thirds. In simple terms, this may be explained by the fact that the Valais is the Midi of Switzerland and its main wine producing area, whereas the alpine vineyards of France and Italy are but local and relatively unknown enterprises within nations of huge production.

The book is divided into three sections: a comparative historical account, an analysis of the role of viticulture in society, and an account of the commercialization and heritage of viticulture. The historical section reviews the evidence for viticulture in Neolithic times before describing in detail the expansion of the planted area under the Romans. In the Christian era, the bishops became major landholders and the abbeys major foci of land clearance and vine planting. The Middle Ages witnessed a dramatic decline, but by the 11th century, the revival of ecclesiastical power produced a recrudescence of production. By the 14th century, the Church was joined by the aristocracy and the bourgeoisie, employing the peasantry as laborers or share croppers. Progressively, the peasantry became producers and incorporated vines into their economy.

The phylloxera crisis was a severe blow, which was only countered by grafting the local vines or cépages onto American rootstock or by replanting with American varieties, the latter producing higher yields but of lower quality and implying the loss of native varieties. In the period between the two world wars, the decline in production and acreage accelerated. Labor shortages and the difficulty in marketing what at the time were essentially ordinary wines for local consumption against the competition from mass production regions were the main causes. The Valais region escaped this contraction and, to the contrary, continued to expand based on improved quality and better organization. This first section concludes with a very detailed account of the varieties grown in each region and a fascinating description of production methods, the calendar of activities, and the vernacular buildings and implements used in traditional production. The section is lavishly illustrated by documents, reproduced photographs and prints, and by excellent color photographs taken by the author.

The second section examines the role of viticulture in the formation of society. This is reflected, eg, in the position of wine in local place names, songs, and poetry together with its culinary use. Social organization is also adapted to the needs of wine production, and attention is paid to the functions of cooperatives, wine merchants, syndicates, and training bodies. In terms of economic impacts, a clear distinction is drawn between the Valais, where 53% of farm income is derived from vines as opposed to only 23% from livestock, and the Savoie, where only 22% is derived from viticulture and 85% from livestock. Vines fare even worse in the Val d'Aoste, with only 3% of farm income from viticulture as compared to 85% from pastoralism.

The final section concerns the commercialization of wine and an evaluation of viticulture as a heritage feature. A very detailed discussion of appellations is followed by an account of promotional activity and the link to tourism. Whereas the wines of the Valais enjoy a high status and have well-developed distribution circuits, the wines of the Savoie, and even more so of the Val d'Aoste, are more modest in quantity and quality, and their commercialization relies increasingly on finding a niche in the tourist activity. Thus, the renovation of vernacular buildings, the creation of wine museums, the revival of wine feasts, and wine-tasting offer a means of inserting wine into agrotourism.

The book concludes with an overview of the importance of viticulture in the formation of the landscape over the last 2000 years and a glimpse into the potential future. The author views wine as part of the trilogy of winter sports, cheese, and wine in the tourist's perception of the Mont-Blanc Massif. Appendices include a glossary of viticultural terms, an index of cépages, and a comprehensive bibliography. The book is illustrated with well-chosen and effective color photographs, and the quality of production is high. It will appeal to wine historians and to specialists in rural economies as well as geographers, and such is the quality of both scholarship and presentation that it would not be out of place in the library of any wine enthusiast.