This material is prepared based on the original historical research from the section "Histoire de l'ampélographie" ("History of Ampelography") authored by Ch. Tallavignes, published in the first volume of the classic "Ampélographie" edited by P. Viala and V. Vermorel (Macon, 1901–1910).

The Rise of a Specialized Science in Germany and Switzerland

In the 17th century, the study of the grape began to gradually detach from general botany into an independent scientific track. The immense success of the French "Maison rustique" by Estienne and Liébault, regular reissues of the medieval work by Pietro Crescenzi, and a deep interest in the classical legacy led to a sequence of specialized viticultural treatises appearing across Europe.

In German lands, at the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries, Johannes Coler published his massive encyclopedia "Rural and Domestic Economy" (OEconomia ruralis et domestica). Within it, the author managed to include a major chapter dedicated entirely to vineyard management. Coler described fifteen distinct vine varieties in detail, and his texts displayed far greater accuracy and completeness than early French manuals.

German Grape Varieties Described by Coler: Traminer, Elbing, Kleberoth, Gross frankisch, Kurtzroth, Muscateller, Klein frankisch, Veltliner, Blancker, Hartroth, Ziegelroth, Malvasier.

A crucial scientific contribution to the knowledge of the vine was brought by the foundational research of the Swiss botanist Jean Bauhin (1541–1613). His principal work, drafted at the very beginning of the 17th century, was published much later — in 1619 and 1650. Bauhin, born in Basel and ending his days in Montbéliard, established a large ampelographic collection in his personal vineyard at Mont de la Chaux, painstakingly gathering the best German and Franche-Comté vines. He left scientific descriptions for twenty grape varieties.

Grape Descriptions in Jean Bauhin's Research: Bauhin described the Vitis corinthiaca sive apyrina (Corinthe, or seedless grape) in detail, the Vitis folio apii variety (the parsley-leaved grape with deeply cut leaves), and the famous Uvae albae dulces strain, known in Montbéliard and Burgundy as Fendant or Hospital grape. His registry included the Uvae germanicae (Elbe, Gutelbe), Uvae lausannenses (Lausannois), Uvae melons (Melon), Uvae guaches (Himschtraube), Uvae enfarins (Weissklemmer), Uvae rheticae (Velteliner), Uvae rubrae (Gamé), and Uvae atrae tramineae (Traminer) vines.

An Example of a Variety Description by Jean Bauhin (Alemans Grape): "Our vignerons say that this vine is well suited to our soil. Its cluster is quite large, compact, the berry is also very big, moderately sweet, with a somewhat tough skin. The leaves are roundish, angular, divided into three distinct parts. Our vignerons state that this vine is frequently cultivated in the Duchy of Luxembourg, where its grape is called Elbe and Gutelbe; in Alsace, conversely, it is called Rheinelbe."

In parallel with Jean Bauhin, his brother Caspar Bauhin (1560–1624) brought his contribution to the study of plants, though his ampelographic notes proved more modest. In his 1671 work, he listed wild and cultivated vines, including American forest varieties from Virginia.

Philipp Sachs and the Birth of the Term "Ampelography"

The major event of the 17th century, which forever established the birth of the new scientific discipline, was the publication of the monumental treatise by the German scholar Philipp Jakob Sachs of Lewenhaimb. In 1661, in Leipzig, his famous book "AMPELOGRAPHY" (ΑΜΠΕΛΟΓΡΑΦΙΑ, Sive de vitis viniferae ejusque partium consideratio) was published. Sachs became the official godfather of this term. The word was constructed from two Greek roots: ἄμπελος (grapevine) and γραφή (description). In the history of science, this word established itself so firmly that when the Spanish scholar D. Clemente used it in his classic 1807 work, he explicitly cited Sachs as the creator of the terminology.

Sachs's treatise represented an honest and, for its era, colossal compilation. The chapters on general anatomy and physiology of the vine were covered briefly, as they could not outpace the general development level of botany in that century. However, in the applied section, Sachs made a major step forward: he proposed the first clear system for classifying grape varieties. The scholar distributed vines according to strict morphological and practical traits:

  • By the size and anatomical form of the berries;
  • By the flavor qualities and skin color of the fruits;
  • By the density and consistency of the pulp;
  • By the number of seeds (pépins) within the berry;
  • By the intended use of the harvest (wine grape or table grape).

Sachs lacked the opportunity to personally examine all the plants, so he gathered variety names from all available printed books: French vines were extracted from Liébault's publications, Swiss ones from Rhagor, German ones from Bauhin and Fromann, Spanish ones from Christophorus Vega, and Italian ones from Andrea Bacci. Contributions to German literature of this period were also brought by Michael Knaben (1621, describing about a hundred varieties in his treatise), Abraham de Dehn (1629), and Johann Paul Knohl, who recorded the precise traits of twenty key varieties of Saxony in 1667.

17th-Century Italian Ampelography: The Catalogues of Francesco Croce and Father Cupani

In Italy, the study of grape varieties progressed more slowly during the 17th century than in previous periods, yet Italian authors preserved a lengthy and valuable selection of strains for science. At the very beginning of the century, in 1606, Francesco Croce, who held the prestigious position of jeweler to the court of the Duke of Savoy, published a brief but critical practical description of the vines growing in the surroundings of Turin.

Italian Grape Varieties Described by Croce and His Contemporaries: Croce recorded the characteristics of the Cropello veronese in detail, noting that this strain yields abundantly, possesses a thin shoot pith, and withstands harsh winter frosts and intense summer heat. His contemporaries, such as Vitale Magazzini (1625), Prospero Rendella (1629), and Vincenzo Tanara (1648) in his "Citizen's Economy in the Villa," expanded the vine inventories, adding the Albana, Bagarella, Bornacchina, Lambrusca, Marzemina, Pignola, Schiavone, and Torbiano varieties to the registry.

The genuine revival of Italian science occurred at the very close of the century, thanks to the research of Father Francesco Cupani. Serving as the director of the celebrated botanical gardens of the Prince della Catholica in Misilmeri (Sicily), he published his capital work Hortus catholicus in 1696. Cupani gathered a unique Sicilian and Neapolitan collection of live vine plants. His variety descriptions were brief and concerned exclusively the structure of berries and clusters, yet they displayed strict scientific accuracy, with the author dedicating specific attention to resolving complex varietal synonyms.

The Sicilian Vine Registry of Father Cupani: In his fundamental catalogue, Cupani precisely recorded the Muscateddu vrancu, Niureddu ordinariu, Curniola (Liparota), Racina prunara, Barbarussa, Inzoli vranca, Grecu masculinu, Zubidia, Calaurisi, Marvascia, Guarnaccia vranca, Tripianu, and the famous Zibibu (Zibibbo) vines, which he correctly identified with the ancient Greek Boumastos grape.

The Rise of British Viticulture: The Gardens of Langley and Miller

The British school of grape study took its very first, yet steady steps in the 17th century. Due to the harsh island climate, authors focused predominantly on cultivating the vine in protected environments or on wall-mounted trellises (pergolat). Painstaking researchers such as Samuel Hartlib (1652) and Ralph Austen (1653) recorded precise vernacular names of grape varieties successfully grown in Great Britain and Flanders for the first time in English literature, such as the Parsley vine (Canada grape), Rhenish grape, Muskadell, and Fox grape.

In 1670, William Hughes published a practical manual "The Compleat Vineyard," limiting his descriptions to three basic varieties: White muscadine, Red muscadine, and Partly grape. The true ampelographical expansion of this school occurred slightly later, upon the foundation of these works, when Batty Langley published his atlas Pomona (1729) with precise illustrations of clusters, and Philip Miller included a comprehensive applied treatise on commercial winemaking in his famous "Gardeners Dictionary" (1731).

The French Ampelographic School: The Legacy of Jean Merlet

In France, the 17th century did not bring monumental theoretical discoveries but enriched the science with essential practical catalogues. In 1667, in Paris, a manual titled "Abridgment of Good Fruits" (L'Abrégé des bons fruits) was published anonymously. The resounding success of the book prompted publishers to issue multiple reissues, and it was only in the 1690 edition that the author's name was revealed — it belonged to a royal squire, Jean Merlet. Many subsequent authors, including Pulliat, praised Merlet as the first researcher in France to "truly well describe the varieties."

Although Ch. Tallavignes considers these praises somewhat exaggerated, as Merlet transcribed most of his grape varieties from older books, his catalogue possesses high historical value. Merlet entered about 80 variety names and synonyms into the registry, dividing them into three clear classes: early, table, and wine vines. Merlet's descriptions were concise yet substantive. For instance, he described the Sauvignon variety as "a black grape, fairly large and long, which is early, has a sharp flavor, and is among the best."

French Grape Varieties Recorded by Jean Merlet: Merlet's catalogue lists the following vines in detail: Morillon hâtif, Meunier, Pineau (Auvernat), Vigne de Mantoue, Cioutat, Chasselas, Muscat de Frontignan, Damas, Vigne grecque, Sauvignon, Gamet, Gouais, Pizzutelli, Blanquette de Limois, Maroquin (Barbarons), Rognon de coq, and Teinturier.

This centuries-long stage of vine research in France concluded with the works of the great botanist Pierre Magnol (the master of Joseph Pitton de Tournefort). In 1676, Magnol compiled a fundamental index of wild and cultivated plants around Montpellier (Botanicum monspeliense). He preserved and recorded the composition of the autochthonous grape varieties of Languedoc for science, most of which (such as Piquardan, Clarette, Espiran, Terret, Pique-poule, Barberoux, and Ouliade) continue to form the basis of the grand vineyards of southern France to this day.