For Charles Darwin, the grapevine was exceptional in illustrating so powerfully his theory of the modification of species. But did his work, in turn, play a crucial role in overcoming the phylloxera crisis and saving viticulture as we know it today? Professor Michael Summerfield delves deep into Darwin’s correspondence and ponders whether this might indeed be among the many remarkable achievements of one of the towering figures in modern science.
The Darwin Correspondence Project began publishing all the known extant letters of Charles Darwin in 1985, and its 30th and final volume appeared after nearly four decades, in 2022.1 The early correspondence traces Darwin’s nascent interest in natural history, then it proceeds to record his epic five-year voyage around the world on the surveying ship HMS Beagle, before expanding into his work on evolution and the diverse array of geological and biological topics that occupied him for the rest of his life. Containing more than 15,000 letters to and from Darwin, it has been a monumental endeavor of meticulous research and editing that has created an extraordinarily detailed insight into the intellectual and personal life of one of the towering figures of the 19th century. Its completion prompts thoughts about what his ideas contributed to our world, and with Darwin there are so many avenues to consider. But what of wine? Nothing much to consider here, surely. Well, perhaps there is, and I would like to pose this question: Did Darwin save wine?
Wine and the greatest of all
This Article was originally published on World of Fine Wine
